The students, angry over arrest of their leaders in connection with Utkal University violence, were divided into groups to commit vandalism at several places in Bhubaneswar. At least six buses were set on fire, six automatic trailer machines (ATMs) and branch office of a nationalised bank were damaged and two private hospitals here attacked here.
The violence which began at around 2 am continued till the noon. The agitators also reportedly fought pitched battles with police at different places in Bhubaneswar leading to injuries to at least a dozen people from both sides.
However, no arrests have been made.
Police said the students owning allegiance to students’ wing of the Congress indulged in violence.
The student unrest began after two rival groups attacked each other at the Utkal University here three days ago over union elections, which are barely a month away. Six student leaders including state president of students’ wing of the Congress Chinmoy Sahu were arrested in connection with the incident. All of them were released on bail on Tuesday.
The colleges in Bhubaneswar and other parts of the state recorded thin attendances as the state unit of National Students Union of India, a frontal organisation of Congress, threatened to intensify the stir.
Meanwhile, Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee working president Lalatendu Vidyadhar Mohapatra warned the state government to refrain from its “anti student suppression” activity and threatened that there would be state-wide agitation if the arrested students’ representatives of various colleges and universities were not freed immediately.
“What crime the students have committed? Is it an offence if the students’ leaders tried to expose the Naveen government’s involvement in theft of valuable mineral resources of the state? The state government wants to silence a students’ movement against its corrupt activities,” Mr Mohapatra observed.
The violence which began at around 2 am continued till the noon. The agitators also reportedly fought pitched battles with police at different places in Bhubaneswar leading to injuries to at least a dozen people from both sides.
However, no arrests have been made.
Police said the students owning allegiance to students’ wing of the Congress indulged in violence.
The student unrest began after two rival groups attacked each other at the Utkal University here three days ago over union elections, which are barely a month away. Six student leaders including state president of students’ wing of the Congress Chinmoy Sahu were arrested in connection with the incident. All of them were released on bail on Tuesday.
The colleges in Bhubaneswar and other parts of the state recorded thin attendances as the state unit of National Students Union of India, a frontal organisation of Congress, threatened to intensify the stir.
Meanwhile, Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee working president Lalatendu Vidyadhar Mohapatra warned the state government to refrain from its “anti student suppression” activity and threatened that there would be state-wide agitation if the arrested students’ representatives of various colleges and universities were not freed immediately.
“What crime the students have committed? Is it an offence if the students’ leaders tried to expose the Naveen government’s involvement in theft of valuable mineral resources of the state? The state government wants to silence a students’ movement against its corrupt activities,” Mr Mohapatra observed.
No comments:
Post a Comment