Students plan protest today, police on toes

Sunit Dhawan
Tribune News Service
Rohtak, October 16

Members of various students’ organisations, barring the ABVP, the student wing of the ruling BJP, plan to boycott and oppose the student union elections slated to be held across the state in the proposed indirect format on Wednesday.

The police authorities as well as intelligence agencies have been put on an alert in view of the situation.

Rohtak SP Jashandeep Singh Randhawa said on Tuesday that police personnel had been deployed at strategic locations while a number of policemen in plain clothes were also keeping a watch.

“We are prepared to get the student union elections conducted in a smooth and peaceful manner and prevent any untoward incident during the poll process,” he maintained.

Six to seven well-equipped companies of the police force were ready to tackle any situation. The CIA branches as well as the intelligence wing of the police force are also keeping a vigil on the activities of persons with doubtful character to ensure the maintenance of peace, law and order, he claimed.

The SP said police check-posts had been put up around Maharishi Dayanand University (MDU) as well as the local colleges and police personnel had been deployed on the gates of these educational institutions.

“The entry of outsiders has been banned and students are being frisked thoroughly. If any student is found carrying a weapon or posing a threat to law and order, strict action would be taken against him/her,” he added.

Meanwhile, the agitation against the indirect elections, which began on the campus of MDU here, has spread to the local colleges as well.

A protest demonstration was held in front of the All-India Jat Heroes’ Memorial College on Tuesday.