Students protest on street ahead of college elections in Bhubaneswar (file picture)

Bhubaneswar, July 31: Pre-poll violence has already started in different colleges of the city even though the schedule for college elections are yet to be declared. In the last 10 days, four such incidents have been reported in three colleges of Bhubaneswar.

The latest clash took place between two groups of students on the Boxi Jagabandhu Bidyadhar (BJB) College campus today on the issue of putting up banners on the campus. Police was deployed to keep a watch on the tense situation.

Police said the situation in the college campus has been volatile for the past few days as two groups of students, backed by two political leaders of the same party, had been fighting for dominance before the college elections this year.

“Today, while some students were trying to put up banners, others opposed them, which resulted in a scuffle. Soon our police team rushed to the spot and the situation was brought under control,” said a police officer.

Two days ago, these two groups of students had a fight, which was solved after police and the college authorities held talks with them. Principal of the college Dushmant Sahu said the students had given a written undertaking not to clash again.

On July 29, tension gripped Ekamra College as two groups of students clashed with each other after one group allegedly passed lewd remarks to a girl. Later, the Airfield police had to rush to the college campus to pacify the students. The students later gave an undertaking not to create such a situation on the campus. Despite this, police were deployed in large numbers to keep an eye on the situation.

On July 19, two groups of students clashed with each other over the parking of vehicles on the campus. Later, Saheed Nagar police rushed to the spot to take control of the situation.

Last year, just before the election, two groups of students fought with each other in which five persons were injured. Following this incident, college authorities had to ban the election for last year.

However the college authorities said that they had been taking several steps to prevent any violence on the campus prior to the election.

The BJB College principal said the college authorities here had made some rules such as, 75 per cent attendance compulsory for students who wanted to contest in the election. “I have been regularly checking the attendance registers so that none can tamper with them. We will follow the Lyngdoh commission strictly,” said principal Sahu.

Principal of Maharshi College Madan Sahu said they had deployed their security guards to keep a watch on outsiders who come to the college with wrong intentions.

“We have instructed the students not to indulge in any improper activity in the college, else they would not be allowed to contest in the election,” he said.

Besides, the college authorities inform the police when they anticipate any untoward incident on the campus. Police officials said that they had intensified patrolling around the colleges so that local goons and outsiders cannot enter the college to create problems.

“Whenever the colleges require, our team rushes to the spot,” said a senior police officer.