The Patna University's College of Arts and Crafts is in the news again.

The college students have decided to go on protest against the university administration's delay in declaring the bachelor in fine arts (BFA) results.

Owing to delay in declaration of the BFA results, many students who have missed their opportunities to pursue higher studies (MFA course) in institutions such as Banaras Hindu University (BHU), the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, the Lucknow College of Arts and Crafts, the Delhi College of Arts and others, planned to stage the agitation.

The students claimed that they had no other option but to go to other universities to pursue masters as no university in Bihar offer the MFA course.

Sources said on Wednesday that a large number of police personnel was deployed at the college as there were rumours that Patna University vice-chancellor Rash Bihari Prasad Singh and college principal Chandra Bhooshan Shriwastava were planning to visit the college.

As news of Shriwastava and university officials on the college premises spread, many students assembled at the college. However, neither Shriwastava nor any other official visited the college anticipating tension.

Mukesh, a final-year BFA student, who is waiting for his results, said: "We will never allow Shriwastava to enter our college premises. It is due to this act that we are suffering so much." Mukesh claimed that the students of the college who had enquired the examination department had come to know that examination copies of sculpture had not been checked and Shriwastava was responsible for it.

Last year, the Arts and Crafts College was on the boil as students were on strike for around three months demanding removal of the college principal Chandra Bhooshan Shriwastava after he suspended eight students on charges of anti-academic activities. FIRs were also lodged against students.

The students' agitation had ended only after the district administration and the varsity administration intervened on the issue with the university deciding to remove Shriwastava and replacing him with Patna University English department teacher Arun Kamal.

However, after a few months, Arun was shifted to Patna College and Shriwastava again took charge as the college principal.

However, Shriwastava during his second stint as college principal, preferred to work from his residence and never visited the college fearing student unrest.

Another college student, Vishendra Narayan Singh, said: "We don't know why the university administration is patronising Shriwastava once he was removed by the university."

However, college principal Shriwastava said: "The students' agitation is unwanted. Some students, who have been backed by some outsiders and belonging to some political parties with ulterior motives are disturbing the academic atmosphere."

Shriwastava claimed that the final-year results will be declared in a couple of days. Shriwastava also said that today (Wednesday) he had planned to visit the college but when he came to know that some students were planning to create a disturbance, he cancelled the plan.

Sources said the university will not remove Shriwastava as his tenure is to be completed within two months and thereafter a new principal will be appointed.