UP govt committed to ban ragging

Lucknow, Nov 6 (UNI) The Uttar Pradesh government today raised the ragging issue in the Legislative Council and asserted the BSP regime was committed to eradicating the ''curse.'' Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) members Munna Singh Chauhan and Hari Singh Dhillo Raked up the issue and demanded Council Chairman Chaudhary Sukhram Singh Yadav adjourn the proceedings of the House and a brief discussion on ragging.

Raising the recent suicides by ragging victims in Agra, Noida, Lucknow, Allahabad, Mr Chauhan said ''it is no less than a 'curse,' which ought to be banned soon.'' ''Ragging is a disease, which is being spread by some children of elite class,'' Leader of teachers group Om Prakash Sharma noted.

Efforts should be made to curb this fatal disease at the earliest, he added.

Leaders of the opposition Ahmad Hassan, Rakesh Singh Rana, Dr Y D Singh, Dr Sheesha Rizvi and Dr Nepal Singh said ''Mayawati government is serious towards curbing ragging, which is claiming the lives of many students.'' ''The students union elections have been postponed till further orders to maintain peace in the educational institutes,'' leader of the House Swami Prasad Maurya said.

Terming the ragging accused as 'criminals,' Mr Maurya claimed ''people, who indulge in such acts cannot be called students.'' Therefore, stringent action would be taken against those who found guilty, he underlined.

Meanwhile, the Council Chairman turned down their demand to adjourn the proceedings of the House, saying a seven member committee, including either Technical Education minister or his representative, should be formed and meeting be held in this regard soon.

He has summoned the related report in the next session of the House.

UNI