Ban orders imposed in PU as student groups agitate

Prohibitory orders were imposed on Panjab University (PU) campus Monday as various student groups continued with their protests against the recent election results of the PU Campus Students' Council (PUCSC).

Chandigarh District Magistrate M.Shayin imposed the orders, banning the taking out rallies, protests, making speeches, raising slogans and carrying of lathis within a radius of 250 meters of the office and residence of the PU vice chancellor.

The prohibitory orders will remain in force till Wednesday (Sep 11). The protest by various students' organizations, who are demanding re-election to the PUCSC, entered the sixth day Monday. Leaders of various organisations are on hunger strike and have blocked a portion of the entrance to the vice chancellor's office.

The protest is being carried out by the Students of Panjab University (SOPU), Panjab University Students Union (PUSU), Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), Indian National Student Organisation (INSO), Students Federation of India (SFI) and others.

They are claiming electoral malpractices in the Sep 4 PUCSC elections which saw the National Students Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of the Congress, banging two out of the four posts of office bearers in the PUCSC. NSUI candidate Chandan Rana won the PUCSC president's election by 838 votes.

This is the first time that the NSUI bagged the post in over four decades. "The students are blackmailing the university authorities. We have initiated a probe into the issue and assured them help. It will take time but they are not ready to cooperate," said PU's Dean Students' Welfare (DSW) Navdeep Goyal. Robin Brar, SOPU president, said that the protest would continue.

IANS