Gorakhpur: University students raise slogans after Dy CM refuses to give assurance on holding student elections

Gorakhpur University students indulged in brick-batting and sloganeering today demanding immediate holding of students' union elections.

The trouble began after Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma at a programme in the varsity allegedly refused to give any assurances on holding the elections, saying a decision in this regard has to be taken by the vice-chancellor.

"The students misunderstood the deputy chief minister's statement and started protesting, shouting slogans and indulging in brick-batting as soon as the programme ended," the university's proctor Gopal Prasad said.

They also held some university employees hostage in the administrative building and cut-off the electricity supply, he claimed, adding that students had also beaten up a varsity worker.

"The police reached the spot and chased the protesters during which some of them suffered minor injuries," the proctor said.

The students alleged that the police resorted to a lathi charge in which many were injured.

Law student Sakshi Satyam, who aspires to contest the students' union election, alleged that students were dragged out of their hostels and severely beaten up.

Following the incident, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who arrived in the city this evening, had to take a five-km detour to reach the Gorakhnath temple where he will halt for the night.

The situation is now normal in the city, officials said.