Haryana: Clash Between Protesting Students, Security Guards At HAU, Several Students Injured
The protesting students claimed that the university administration neither took any initiative for dialogue nor found any solution to their demand.
Hisar: A clash between a group of students, who were protesting outside the office of the Vice Chancellor of the Haryana Agricultural University here, and security guards left several students injured, sources said on Wednesday.
The students of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (CCSHAU), who were protesting against changes in merit scholarship eligibility rules for postgraduate students, claimed that the guards assaulted them when they were sitting on a "peaceful dharna" on Tuesday evening.
However, the university administration claimed that some students tried to enter the VC office while raising slogans and also manhandled the guards.
At least six students have been injured in the incident and they are currently undergoing treatment at the government hospital Hisar, the sources said.
However, some of the protesters claimed that 20 students were injured in the incident.
The protesting students demanded immediate action against the Chief Security Officer/security staff of the university.
A case has been registered here on Wednesday against some of the security guards on the complaint of a student, the sources said.
The students claimed that the university used to give scholarships to all students achieving a minimum score of 70 per cent, but the recent amendments limit scholarships to the top 25 per cent of students, while the minimum eligibility requirement was raised from 70 per cent to 75 per cent.
The students claimed that they were protesting peacefully when the security personnel pushed them without any reason.
After this, the students sat on a dharna outside the Vice Chancellor's residence at night. The students alleged that the security guards of the university cane-charged them due to which a few students also suffered head injuries.
A large number of police personnel was deployed at the site to control the situation.
The protesting students claimed that the university administration neither took any initiative for dialogue nor found any solution to their demand.
On the contrary, when the students tried to make their voices heard, the varsity administration sent security guards and chased the students and beat them, a protesting student alleged.
Meanwhile, the university administration claimed in a written statement that some students tried to enter the VC office raising slogans.
When the security personnel standing there tried to stop them, the students beat them up and also tore their uniforms, it alleged, adding the security personnel then tried to drive the students away.
Earlier, on this issue, after meeting the students, the Vice Chancellor had formed a committee on their demand, but the students did not meet the committee, the statement said.
Some protesting students of HAU Wednesday said they have started a sit-in protest in front of Gate No. 4 of the varsity here in protest against the clash that took place last night.
Meanwhile, opposition parties in Haryana strongly condemned the cane charge against the university students.
Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, in a statement on Wednesday, questioned under which law the security officials of the University were given "the right to attack the students who were peacefully demanding restoration of their scholarship?" Surjewala alleged that the lathicharge on the students "is a criminal act and for this, the VC, Registrar and Security Incharge of the University should be immediately arrested and dismissed from their posts".
He attacked the BJP, saying the Congress built these world-class institutions like HAU in 70 years, but "let alone taking them forward, the BJP government is not even able to run them properly".
Indian National Lok Dal's student wing national in-charge and party MLA Arjun Chautala also strongly condemned the incident, calling the cane charge on students "very shameful, reprehensible and cruel step".
(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)
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