Ravenshaw students’ council polls put on hold following unrest

Cuttack: The authorities of Ravenshaw University here on Tuesday decided to put the students’ council elections on hold following violence and student unrest on the campus.
“It has not been possible to conduct polls to students’ council for 2017-18 in view of the bandh called by different disruptive forces. Therefore, the election scheduled to be held on August 22-23 is hereby kept under abeyance till issuance of further orders,” said a notice issued by the varsity after approval of Vice-Chancellor Prof Prakash Chandra Sarangi.
Earlier in the day, a group of students staged a demonstration by burning tyres before the main gate of the university demanding that the students’ union polls be held as per previous practice.
On Monday, Biju Chhatra Janata Dal activists had also staged a massive protest before the varsity and burnt the effigy of Ravenshaw VC demanding campus poll.
The university authorities had recently decided to hold students’ council elections instead of students’ union polls with an aim to keep politically-affiliated students away from the poll process.