Patna: Students' bodies from different parties on Friday staged a massive protest on the Patna University campus against the police lathicharge on April 9 and prevented officials from discharging duties.

Students' bodies from many organisations such as the Left-backed All India Students' Federation (AISF), All India Students' Association (Aisa), Jan Adhikar Chhatra Parishad, Chhatra RJD, NSUI and others barged into the university main administrative building by breaking the main entrance gate on Friday afternoon.

Once on the campus, the students staged a demonstration at various offices such as accounts cell, examination cell and others. They prevented varsity officers from discharging duties. Most officials and employees on the campus were asked to leave before the protesting students locked their offices.

"Our main demands included holding students' union polls afresh as despite anomalies in educational qualifications of Pusu president Divyanshu Bhardwaj and vice-president Yoshita Patwardhan, their candidatures were restored by the university on the high court's directions ."

Divyanshu, Yoshita and three other central panel members, along with college representatives, took oath at the Wheeler Senate Hall. At the event on the campus on April 9, members of students' bodies were beaten up by police. Sushil said: "The students' bodies, apart from protesting the restoration of the president and vice-president's candidatures, were protesting against the appointment of Colonel Manoj Mishra, a retired army officer, as the varsity registrar."

To check financial irregularities in universities, Governor-cum-chancellor Satya Pal Malik appointed 10 retired army personnel as new registrars of the universities on April 3.

The students' bodies also staged a demonstration at Patna Science College, Patna College, Darbhanga House and other places.

"The agitation by the students' bodies is illegal as the varsity administration has revoked the suspension of both the president and the vice-president on the directive of Patna High Court," said N.K. Jha, the students' welfare dean.

Patna University students' union elections authorises the central panel to raise students' issues before the administration.