Student leaders protest against Allahabad University notice to vacate hostels: Know Why

By Line – Sadhya Gupta

Over the issue of vacating the hostel premises from the inmates on Thursday during the crises of COVID19. A large number of student leaders of Allahabad University came at loggerhead with the varsity administration at GN Jha hostel of AU. On reaching the hostel, authorities pasted a notice wherein it was mentioned that all the inmates have to immediately vacate the hostel and deposit the keys of their rooms at the hostel office.

At nearly around 12:30, AU Chief proctor Prof. R.K Upadhyay and  DSW, Prof KP Singh along with the police force and securities of AU arrived at GN Jha hostel.

“It is way too weird that at a time when there is a steep hike in the number of corona positive cases per hour, both in the state and the city, the varsity administration is asking inmates to vacate the rooms. The dictatorial attitude of the authorities is forcing us to defy the norms of lockdown but whatever be the case, we will not succumb to pressure”, said former vice president of AUSU, Akhilesh Yadav.

He also said that first, the varsity authorities should get all the inmates checked for corona and after quarantine of 14 days, arrange for private vehicles for sending the inmates back to their homes.

“It is contradictory that at one hand AU is talking of conducting exams of final year (end semester exams) students and on the other hand, asking them to vacate the hostel and return to their home town”.

AU PRO, Shailendra Mishra said, “AU administration had announced earlier that the inmates should vacate the rooms of their respective hostels and on the same lines, varsity tried to vacate the rooms of GN Jha but because of the opposition by student leaders, the administration returned empty-handed. However, we are mulling over the issue but inmates have to vacate the rooms”.