Allahabad University Violence: FIR Lodged Against 8, What Was The Clash All About?

A clash between students and security guards took place at the Allahabad Central University in Uttar Pradesh on Monday. The violence erupted after a former student leader, Vivekananda Pathak landed into a heated argument with the university guards, who were allegedly not letting him enter the campus premises.

A day after the clash on December 20, police lodged a second FIR against eight people, including former student leader Vivekananda Pathak, Rahul Patel, Ajay Samrat, Abhishek Pathak, Navneet Singh, Harendra Yadav, Ayush Priyadarshi and Satyam Kushwaha.

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Pathak is the state general secretary of the Congress party. On Monday night, Pathak had filed an FIR with the Colonelganj police. In his complaint, he had named three security guards, Prabhakar Singh, MK Pandey and Tara Chandra along with 30-40 unnamed people.

The second FIR against the former student leader and others has been filed for rioting, arson, robbery and voluntarily causing hurt. “A probe team has been formed to gather video evidence. Based on its findings, further action will be taken. The team has been told to submit report in 76 hours,” Additional Police Commissioner (Prayagraj) Akash Kulhary said.

A video which captured students throwing stones at the guards, as well as the deployed police, went viral on social media. Clips of motorcycles being set on fire and guards beating students with batons have also garnered attention on social media. Pathak has been a part of a prolonged protest at the campus over a fee hike, which has been going on for a few months. Despite multiple requests and protests by students, the university has refused to withdraw the hike.

The students’ agitation has been going on for 882 days for the demand of restoration of the student union election in Allahabad Central University. There has not been a student union election here since 2018. The system of student council was implemented in the university in the year 2019, but the student council could not be formed. Due to non-election of the student union, the university administration had locked the the union hall, but the students broke the lock and entered inside the hall. The students also demanded to return the four-fold fee hike of the university,

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