Police seize the rods from the college room. (Kundan Yolmo)

Siliguri, Dec. 18: Bamboo sticks, iron rods and a piece of metal bar were recovered from a room of Siliguri College tonight, after day-long protests by students over the alleged remarks of a teacher and the gherao of the principal rocked the institution.

Supporters of the Chhatra Parishad (CP) and the Trinamul Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) confined principal Moloy Karanjai to his office from 4.30pm, alleging that he had accepted nominations of two SFI candidates for the student union election beyond the stipulated timing of 2pm. The election is scheduled for December 30.

The principal denied the charge. “No nomination papers were accepted after 2pm,” he said.

The protesters also alleged that the SFI, which runs the union, stockpiled ammunition at the Information Centre of the college. As Karanjai and police, who were deployed on the premises since morning, inspected the room, they found some bamboo sticks and iron rods. This sparked protests. Soon, deputy superintendent of police of Siliguri Sitaram Sinha and other officers reached the college. Senior Trinamul leaders including Darjeeling district chief Gautam Deb also arrived.

“We suspect these items had been kept by the SFI to attack us tomorrow, the last date of filing nomination or on the election day,” said Titas Bhowmik, the TMCP secretary of the college who has filed a police complaint. The principal also filed a separate complaint. The gherao was lifted around 10.15pm after the DSP announced that the subdivisional officer of Siliguri would convene a meeting in his office tomorrow.

Trouble began at 9:50am when around 40 students of sociology blocked the entry of Krishna Pal, a lecturer of history, to the staff room. “We won’t attend classes until KP Mam apologises to our teachers. She has used abusive language against them,” they shouted. Another group of 50 students of political science blocked the other entrance from 12 noon with the same demand.

Pal was one of the speakers at a public meeting organised by the TMCP and the CP outside the college yesterday. “I neither called teachers any names nor did I abuse them in my speech. They have concocted most of the statements. I am being harassed for no reason at all,” she said.

The principal requested the students to lift the blockade but they refused. “I will convene a governing body meeting to find an amicable solution,” Karanjai said. The blockade was lifted at 4.30pm.