BHUBANESWAR: Students’ union elections have been scrapped in several universities and colleges across the State due to campus violence in the last one week. So far, 13 colleges in the State have been closed sine die. Sambalpur University was also closed sine die on Wednesday following campus violence, the Higher Education department said. This year, there will be no elections in Ravenshaw University, Utkal University and North Odisha University. On Thursday, Deba Ray College and Rajdhani College in the State Capital were closed sine die following campus unrest. As of now, no elections will be held in 32 colleges and universities across the State. The union polls are scheduled to be held on October 11.
Bomb hurled
Jagatsinghpur: Tension prevailed at Alaka College in Biridi block of the district after miscreants hurled bomb near the principal’s office on Thursday. Panic gripped students of the college who left the campus apprehending group clash.
Principal Banmali Behera said some miscreants hurled bombs on the campus to create disturbances ahead of the students’ union elections. No casualty or injury was reported in the mishap. While an FIR has been lodged at Biridi police station, efforts are on to maintain peace inside the campus, he added.
In another development, students, under the banner of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), launched a hunger strike in front of SVM College, Jagatsinghpur protesting ‘illegal’ rejection of candidature during verification of nomination papers. As per reports, nomination papers of Antrayami Behera, Manas Rout, Sujit Kumar Swain, Satyajit Behera and Debasish Mohanty for different posts were rejected during scrutiny.
