Hindustan Times
First Published: 03:35 IST(22/8/2007)
Last Updated: 03:36 IST(22/8/2007)
ABVP fear in MP colleges
by Sravani Sarkar,
Bhopal, August 22, 2007
Colleges in Madhya Pradesh are gearing up for elections on August 23 and 24 in the shadow of the terror that has come to be associated with the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad. The student's wing of the BJP seems to have had a role in almost every major incident involving students assaulting teachers in the state.
The Madhav Arts and Commerce College in Ujjain has cancelled student elections this year. Activists of the ABVP had allegedly murdered Prof H S Sabbhrwal of the college during the student union election on August 26 last year.
The murder made national headlines, but chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan dismissed it as 'an accident'. Principal Chandrakala Sonane said the decision to cancel the elections was taken fearing clashes among student unions.
In Tikamgarh, the Government PG College staff are refusing to conduct the student union elections after acting principal SC Chousaria and his three daughters were beaten up by ABVP activists at their home on Saturday. The principal said he felt threatened.
An assistant professor was injured in Jabalpur's prestigious St Aloysius College as students went on rampage two days back. The police rounded up 60 ABVP and NSUI students. The principal cancelled the elections.
In state capital Bhopal, tension prevailed at the BHEL PG College on Monday after ABVP district vice-president Lakhan Mehra threatened principal Abha Gargav in her office. The principal's report with the police said Mehra issued a threat saying: "last year only one bullet was fired but this time 10 will be fired'.
Worried about more incidents of violence, the Higher Education department has issued strict guidelines for the elections.
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