UP bans students union polls; students resort to violent protest

Lucknow, Sep 7 (UNI) Violent protests by students were witnessed after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mawayati today ordered a ban on holding of elections of students unions in state universities and affiliated colleges with immediate effect.

The ban was imposed by the state government to improve the education curriculum and environment in the state. However the ban would not be enforced in three central universities of Banaras Hindu University, Allahabad University and Aligarh Muslim University.

Principal secretary to Chief Minister Shailesh Krishna said here that the ban would only be enforced in the state universities and their affliated colleges till further order.

According to a government release here, the CM said that the step was taken to regularise the academic session of the universities and colleges. ''These elections create severe law and order problem besides the educational activities of the students get affected,'' she added.

She further said that the students' unions elections also create disturbances in the campus areas.

After the announcement of the ban, students turned violent in Varanasi where a mob damaged two buses and burnt effigy of the state government.

Police had to resort to mild lathicharge to disperse the agitating students of Kashi Vidyapeth and Harishchandra College who were sitting on the streets and blocking the GT Road.

The students were agitated in Varanasi as the nominations for students union elections was to start at Kashi Vidyapeth from tomorrow.

Meanwhile, students of Gorakhpur have called a bundh tomorrow in protest against the government decision. Peaceful protest was also held in Lucknow University by the students.

Ms Mayawati also directed all the vice-chancellors and director, higher education to ensure that no students' union election take place till further orders while principal secretary (Higher education) Rakesh Kumar Mittal has issued a government order in this connection.

Earlier, during her previous regime in 2002, Ms Mayawati had banned students' union elections but it was reinstated by Mulayam Singh Yadav in September 2003.

However, elections of the students union in several universities and colleges were not held for the past one year due to implementation of the Lyngdoh committee report by the Supreme court which dictates several strict terms and conditions for the students to contest the polls.

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