Haryana Police on Friday resorted to lathicharge on students at Kurukshetra University and Rohtak’s Maharshi Dayanand University during the students’ outfits protest against the indirect election to students unions to be held on October 17 in universities and colleges of the state.
Atleast 12 students were injured when the students were protesting outside the Kurukshetra University campus.
Similar protests were held in Sirsa, Yamunanagar and other districts of the state over the conduct of indirect elections to students’ unions.
Earlier in the day, more than 200 students affiliated with student organisations, including NSUI, had sat on a protest in front of gate number 3 of Kurukshetra University in support of their demands, blocking the movement of vehicles on Kurukshetra-Pehowa road.
Kurukshetra Deputy Superintendent of Police Gurmaij Singh said police resorted to mild lathicharge when students held up traffic on the road.
He said all students were dispersed from the site after the police action.
An FIR under various sections of IPC has been registered and police is trying to arrest the student leaders who incited the students, he added.
Notably, the student union elections in Haryana colleges and universities are being organised on October 17, after a gap of 22 years. The BJP led Haryana Government has however decided to hold indirect polls to students unions.
The decision has not been accepted by students’ outfits like now-disbanded INSO, NSUI, SFI and others who are demanding direct elections to students’ unions in Haryana.
In indirect polls, class representatives are elected in colleges and department representatives in universities, who will elect the president and other office-bearers of student organisations.
Commenting on the lathicharge on students in Haryana, now-disbanded INSO national chief Digvijay Chautala while talking to the mediapersons in New Delhi on Friday said that we will boycott students’ elections on October 17.
We demand strict action against those police officers who lathicharged at the students, he added.
Congress MP from Rohtak, Deepender Singh Hooda said the Haryana Government should not snatch the right of students to elect their leaders directly.
Holding indirect polls in a democratic set-up has no meaning. By holding indirect elections, the government is attempting to saffronise universities and colleges, he alleged.
Deepender also condemned the lathicharge on students and said that such actions will not be tolerated.
The students’ union elections were banned by the then Chief Minister, Bansi Lal, in 1996 in view of the unruly and violent behavior of some students group at that time.
The student union elections will be held in all the 293 colleges affiliated to all the state universities on October 17. About 4.50 lakh students are likely to participate in these elections.
Chief Minister Manohar Lal had on Wednesday directed the Vice Chancellors of the universities, Principals of the colleges, Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police to ensure adequate safety and security arrangements during the students' union elections.
He had directed the officers to ensure that full security and safety measures are taken for smooth and peaceful conduct of student's union elections like that of Panchayati Raj Institutions.