Expel us not, say campus Munnabhais

Lucknow: "The Lucknow University is recent times become a hub of crime where narcotics, arms and prostitution rackets thrive."

This is what the university's Vice-Chancellor R P Singh had said last month, just before expelling a large number of students who were involved in these activities.

R P Singh had told the Allahbad High Court that students accused of crime and rowdies ruled the university and had requested the court to direct the Uttar Pradesh government to increase security on the campus.

However, now these expelled 'students', mostly leaders of student unions have resorted to the Gandhigiri style of protest to gain admission back into the university.

According to a report in ANI, the attempt is to end the stalemate between them and the Vice Chancellor.

Student leaders met Lucknow's Mayor, Dinesh Sharma, who also happens to be a professor of the University, on January 1 and presented roses to him in Gandhigiri fashion.

They have asked for forgiveness for their past mistakes and said that they are students who simply want to pursue their studies.

"We have urged him to forgive our mistakes because we are students and not criminals. If we are found guilty, he can also punish us. We regret for whatever we have done," student union leader, Abhishek Singh Ashu told ANI.

Mayor Sharma on his part expressed the hope that such an effort by the student leaders will help to create a healthy environment within the university.

R P Singh had ordered to shut down the university sine die and hostels cleared after CNN-IBN reported on December 7 how student leaders accused of crimes were creating terror on the campus using gunmen provided by the state government.

The students were protesting against the Lyngdoh Committee Report.

The Lyngdoh Committee has recommended that students with criminal records should to be barred from contesting elections, a clause which was greeted with resentment by students with political affiliations and elections were postponed for a month after the protests.

Uttar Pradesh unanimously adopted a resolution against R P Singh for his decision and UP Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav described his allegations as lies.

Mulayam had claimed that Singh was a "dictator" and that the university was closed to defame his government and spread the "canard" that Lucknow was unsafe.

"What is wrong with the law and order situation in Lucknow? Is it so bad that the university and degree colleges should have been closed?" he said.

Mulayam had also alleged Singh had not told him or senior officials about the situation on the campus.

The High Court had however ordered the Uttar Pradesh Police to ensure that all 38,000 students of the university vacated their hostels and make sure that vandalism on the campus ends.