Violence spilled on the roads of the city during a protest march by the students opposing the recent decision of UP Public Service Commission (UPPSC) related with reservation policy, on Monday.
A huge mob of students assembled at the UPPSC building here took out the march smashing glasses of dozens of vehicles including several roadways and city buses as well as private vehicles, pulling down hoardings and breaking glasses of some of the outlets on MG Road and Sardar Patel Marg in the heart of the city. They also pelted stones on the policemen. However, no injuries were sustained by anyone.
Earlier, thousands of the students protesting against the recent decision of the UPPSC to adopt a three-level reservation in the examinations conducted by it, assembled at GT Road adjacent to the commission building and blocked the road in the morning. Heavy police force led by senior officials and civil administration manned the situation for hours. The protesters awaited the outcome of a High Court hearing of the writ petition filed against the changed reservation policy of the commission.
At around noon news broke that the Bench hearing the case has sought State Government’s reply on the matter and fixed next hearing after a week.
Following this, thousands of protesters dismantled barricades erected by police and marched towards Patrika Chauraha.
Chanting slogans against the UPPSC chairman and the State Government, they passed through the Company Garden, Hanuman Temple and reached the MG Road where they started smashing glasses of vehicles. Half a dozen buses were damaged at Civil lines bus depots and some private vehicles were also damaged in the sporadic violence. The huge mob of angry students threw traffic on the roads in disarray and terrorised shopkeepers closed down shutters. Vehicles were also damaged and shops were pelted with stones at SP Marg too.
All through the hour long protest, the police totally outnumbered by the young protesters kept its cool. Finally, the mob reached back to the UPPSC building where they resumed their protest.
The IG of Allahabad Zone Alok Sharma, district magistrate, Raj Shekhar and ADM City DP Giri present on the scene tried to pacify the protesters who demanded to meet the UPPSC chairman Anil Yadav in presence of mediapersons. However, the meeting was refused on the ground that the matter was now subjudice. Till late evening, the protest was on with thousands of students blocking the GT Road and Allahabad lucknow Road and a large number of police on watch.