Anti-UPPSC march turns violent after cane-charge

The three-hour long game of hide-and-seek drained away cops’ patience resulting in a cane-charge on students staging a sit-in at Subhash Chowk on Wednesday. The students retaliated by resorting to violence and vandalized a dozen vehicles and public property. The cops also fired rubber bullets, pressed in water cannon and Rapid Action Force, and arrested over a dozen students.
The students were demanding cancellation of second paper of PCS (prelims)-2015 conducted by Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission and CBI inquiry into the question paper leak.
DIG, Allahabad Range, Bhagwan Swaroop said, “At least a dozen students have been arrested by Civil Lines police. They have been charged under Section 151 among others.” District administration had already clamped Section 144 and fortified every road leading to UPPSC to thwart students march.
Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) assistant regional manager said, “At least six vehicles, including two city buses, two buses of the corporaton and a contractual bus, were damaged by agitators at separate places. We will lodge a complaint with the police in this regard.”
The students also damaged glass panes of a nagar nigam vehicle at Stanley Road and another at CAV Inter College.
Earlier, as per pre-announced plan, around 1,000 students, mainly PCS aspirants, led by Amlendu Singh, Kaushal Singh, Awnish Pandey and others started from Union Hall to UPPSC building in a procession. They planned to move through Manmohan Park and Hindu Hostel and gherao the commission. However, after witnessing the police bandobast, they changed the route and instead of heading towards Manmohan Park they moved towards Mayo Hall Crossing.
As the police stopped them from moving ahead, students squatted on road and raised slogans against UPPSC chairman, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As the stalemate continued for half-an-hour, Rapid Action Force and water cannon were called in to disperse them. The students reacted by changing the route again and returned to Manmohan Park via Hindu Hostel Crossing.
The RAF and police rushed to the Hindu Hostel Crossing and stopped demonstrators from advancing towards the commission. In view of heavy barricading, students again changed their plan and moved towards Civil Lines. They assembled at Subhash Crossing and tried to stage a sit-in but cops resorted to cane charge.
The demonstrators urged the cops to allow peaceful demonstration but in vain.
Student Amlendu Singh said, “Thousands of students had opted out of the second paper of PCS-2015 (prelims) after receiving news of question paper leak. We were only demanding re-examination and probe into irregularities in exams.”
He said, “The demonstration was peaceful and senior students were leading the procession. On several instances we stopped classmates from resorting to violence but the police used force at a time when students were standing at the crossing.”
Kaushal Singh demanded immediate release of arrested students.