Policemen posted outside Asutosh College after clashes over union elections. Picture by Amit Datta

Academic activities at Asutosh College were suspended on Monday following a series of clashes between members of rival students’ organisations. One student was injured in the fighting.

The trouble started around 1pm over distribution of nomination forms for union elections, scheduled for January 21.

Members of the SFI allegedly attempted to prevent a group of students, owing allegiance to the Voice for Independence (VFI) — a newly set-up association of students of the college — and the Trinamul Congress Chhatra Parishad, from collecting the forms.

“The supporters of VFI and Trinamul Chhatra Parishad attacked us,” alleged a member of the SFI, which has been running the union for 20 years.

The fighting continued for more than two hours. A police contingent led by the deputy commissioner (south) brought the situation under control.

A second-year student of the economics department, who supports the SFI, was injured in the clashes, said a college official. He was taken to SSKM Hospital. Some classrooms and a portion of the chemistry laboratory were ransacked by the students.

“The SFI created trouble with help from outsiders after seeing that many students from the rival camps had queued up to collect nomination forms,” said a supporter of the VFI.

The SFI members also complained that the supporters of the other two organisations had brought in outsiders into the college.

“The situation is under control. We are investigating the complaints of both groups of students. We will ensure that the nomination forms are distributed peacefully tomorrow,” said principal Debabrata Chowdhury.