Police on vigil on OUAT campus after the clash between two groups in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, March 25: Tension gripped Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) campus following a clash between two groups of students.

The main road passing through the campus turned into a battle zone with rival groups resorting to stone pelting and hurling bottles at each other for about half an hour.

While the university authorities said that personal rivalry between two groups led to the clash, police suspect that last Friday’s fight among the students of veterinary science and agriculture departments was behind today’s violence.

Eyewitnesses said that hundreds of students from two hostels separated by the main road started pelting stones at each other.

“I was going on a motorcycle when I saw stones being hurled on the road. I had to return and take an alternative route,” said Narayan Biswal, an eyewitness. However, no one was injured in the clash.

Later police rushed to the spot and held discussions with the university authorities.

On Friday, a first-year student of the Agriculture College had an argument with his postgraduate peer of the Veterinary College. The heated exchange had ended in a scuffle and soon students from both sides gathered at the spot. However, the police had acted in time and averted a major clash. Since then tension was brewing on the campus.

“The concerned deans are holding discussions with the students of both the departments to restore peace on the campus,” said registrar, P. Pradhan.

On the other hand, the police have deployed adequate personnel on the campus to avoid further tension.

“We are in constant touch with the university officials to identify the troublemakers,” said a police official.

The clash between the students of these two departments is not new.

Earlier in December 2010, at least 18 persons, including three policemen, were injured as two groups of students belonging to veterinary and agriculture departments fought a pitched battle with brickbats and petrol bombs on the campus.

The police had then arrested 35 students.