LU to start eviction of students from hostel tomorrow

Lucknow, Dec 16 (UNI) An uneasy calm prevailed in the Lucknow University campus today even as the the authorities decided to evict the students forcefully from the hostels tomorrow if they did not vacate their rooms.

According to LU authorities, over 60 per cent of the students have already vacated the hostels and if by tomorrow morning rest did not follow, they would be forcefully evicted.

Meanwhile, a large contingent of police has been deployed in the university campus and Rapid Action Force(RAF) personnel have been kept in reserve to execute Allahabad High Court's order to get the university hostels evicted.

A student group of the All India Students Association(AISA) this morning wanted to bring out a procession inside the campus but police did not allow them.

Students, in large number, were seen moving out of the hostels with their bags and baggage, while most of the girls had already vacated their hostels after the university was closed sine die on December 8.

The student union leaders on the other hand have now gone on defensive after the HC orders and they have refused to give their comments today over the eviction.

Yesterday, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court had directed the Uttar Pradesh government to assist the university authorities to vacate all hostels by December 17 and submit the Action Taken Report (ATR) on December 19.

A Division Bench comprising Justice Pradeep Kant and Justice A K Singh pronounced the direction. The court also maintained that service of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) could be taken for vacating the hostels.

Earlier, the court had summoned state Home secretary, DGP and district police officials to get their views about the security arrangements given to the university authorities to get the hostels vacated.

The court had taken up the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) yesterday which had demanded availability of central para military forces to vacate the university hostels of students having criminal background. The petition, filed by local advocate Jayant Singh Tomar, also urged the university to start regular classes after winter vacation from January 2 and hold the Student Union polls under the Lygndoh Committee recommendations.

UP government on the other hand had instituted an inquiry against Vice Chancellor R P Singh on a ''pending complaint'' of financial and administrative irregularities against him.

UP Minister of State for Higher Education Ramasrey Vishwakarma said there were several financial and administrative complaints pending against the VC and the probe would take care of all these irregularities.

The VC had ordered sine-die closure of the university on December 8 following vandalism by students demanding relaxation of Lyngdoh Committee recommendations for holding students union polls which were due on December 16. After the closure of the university, the union elections too have been put on a hold by university authorities.

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