BHUBANESWAR: Tension ran high outside the BJB Autonomous College here on Saturday, a day after the institution was closed sine die and students union election cancelled. A group of students holding allegiance to a particular political party protested the decision and blocked the road in front of the college near Kalpana Square. Some of them even pasted a sticker of letter D over the letter B on the signboard of BJB Autonomous College to make it read as BJD Autonomous College.
They alleged that the decision to call off students election was unwarranted as the atmosphere in the college was peaceful. On Thursday night, two bombs were hurled at the women’s hostel. Two groups of students, owing allegiance to two political parties, had been on agitation on the campus since Friday morning demanding holding of election. Apparently, the staff council of the college had decided to go for election but the decision was rolled back after police informed the college principal and election about possibility of students violence on the campus ahead of the poll.
Principal Mohammed Nawaz Hasan said in wake of students security, the election was called off and sine die declared. On Saturday, all inmates of boys and girls hostels vacated their rooms. Last year too, the students union election in the college was called off due to violence. Elsewhere in the city, filing of nominations by aspiring candidates was peaceful. Amid heavy police deployment in Utkal and RD Women’s universities, candidates filed their papers. In Utkal University, 29 nominations were filed for nine different posts. The aspiring candidates were taken in a rally through the campus by their supporters ahead of filing of nominations. The last date of withdrawal of nomination is September 18 and the final list of contestants will be announced at 5 PM on the same day.