(From left) Patna University acting vice-chancellor UK Sinha, mayor Afzal Imam and Pusu president Ashish Sinha inaugurate the new office of the students’ union on Tuesday. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

The students’ union of Patna University got an office on Tuesday but an altercation among the members marred the ceremony.

The university administration has allotted two rooms at the rear of the main administrative block to Patna University Students’ Union (Pusu). On Tuesday, acting vice-chancellor (VC) U.K. Sinha handed over the keys to the new office to Pusu president Ashish Sinha and general secretary Anshu Kumari.

But during the ceremony, Pusu vice-president Anshuman Singh demanded that all five members of the central panel should receive the keys. This led to an altercation between him and president Ashish.

The acting VC later presented the keys to the office to all the central panel members of the Pusu that includes Ashish, Anshu, Anshuman, as well as secretary Anupriya and treasurer Abhishek Gupta.

After the inauguration, the Pusu president said: “Our priority would be to strengthen the security arrangements for students on campus.”

The union members had been criticised by fellow students after an eve-teasing incident at Patna College last month.

Anshu, the Pusu general secretary, seconded him. “All decisions of the union will now be taken in our office,” she said.

The students also voiced their demand for a Pusu constitution to acting VC Singh, who promised that it would soon be handed over to the central panel of the union.

Elections to the union were held on December 11 last year. Students of the university were, however, sceptical if the new office would help the union function any better. Raj Singh, an undergraduate history student at Patna College, said: “We hope for the best but in the past three months, the Pusu has not been able to do much.”