On the issue of student union elections in SMJN PG college, the supporters of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and National Students Union of India (NSUI) confronted each other on Monday. The police had to resort of lathi charge on ABVP students who were protesting against the college management and one student was taken into police custody.

Members of both the students’ unions took to protests inside the college campus on Monday morning. The students of ABVP demanded open elections while NSUI came in the support of college management as per old norms of choosing class representatives. Many student members of ABVP climbed the classroom walls and broke the cemented seat on college roof, throwing broken pieces down. Despite the intervention of college principal S K Batra, the students did not calm down. They continued their demonstration while NSUI supporters gathered at the college gate. When members of both the unions confronted each other, the management of college had to call the police.

The student leader from ABVP, Karan Verma said, “The present system of student union election is a mere deception which must be changed. A class having 10 students, gave two representatives while a class of 300 students was also given right to choose two representatives which was unfair.” He condemned the lathi charge on students who he claimed were protesting peacefully. The student leading the protest Rahul Choudhary said that they demanded immediate change of process of selection of students’ council. The ABVP students lodged complaint in Jwalapur police station and were pacified later by the management.

Speaking to this correspondent, the college principal SK Batra said that he had called representatives of both unions and matter shall be resolved on a positive note.