ABVP staged demonstration at the gate of the varsity on Thursday, alleging false voting in the Garhwal Central University Srinagar Campus students’ union election.
Around eight ABVP activists had locked themselves in a room in Senate House where the student’s union election had been held by way of protest. They said they would continue to stage protest from inside the closed room till a petition was filed in the court challenging the result of the ‘rigged election’. They indulged in stone pelting, demanding the election be cancelled and fresh polling be held.
The saffron student outfit, affiliate of BJP, lost the election to the Jai Ho group and others.
The triumphant groups took out victory rallies with the newly elected president Manoj Rawat leading it after the result was announced. Police stepped in and charged batons to disperse the stone pelting rampaging mobs. A dozen people, including a senior journalist, were injured in the melee.
Tempers flowing thick and fast, Srinagar Garhwal administration and police rushed in. Things were under control, though ABVP shifted its stir in the adjoining area of the Garhwal University premises.
The election to the union was held on Wednesday after which the results were declared.
Sub- divisional magistrate Razza Abbas told The Pioneer that things were well under control. Mild force was used and a few people sustained minor injuries, he said. The veteran journalist had however, sustained head injuries,he added
Superintendent of police Ajay Joshi also said that the situation was peaceful.
It is pertinent to mention that Garhwal Central University has three constituent campuses- Pauri, Tehri and Srinagar. In the student’s union election of these three campuses this year, the post of president of Srinagar campus went in favor of Jai Ho group, that of Tehri campus to NUSI and that of Pauri campus to ABVP.