Bhubaneswar, March 5: Tension gripped Utkal University campus following an attack on some students in their hostel late last night. Two students were injured in the attack.

Today, while one group of students protested outside the office of deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Nitinjeet Singh demanding immediate action against those involved in the attack, the other group staged a protest near the varsity vice-chancellor’s office on the campus and demanded action against trouble mongers.

The injured were identified as Bismay Das and Sailendra Kumar, both second-year students. They alleged that some students and outsiders barged into their room in hostel VI around 12.30am and attacked them with iron rods.

The victims said that they had not taken part in the statewide elections for several posts and member collection campaign of National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), the students’ wing of Congress party. As a result, supporters of the outfit had attacked them last night.

“I was studying when some people knocked on my door hurling abuse. They broke the door, attacked me and ransacked my room,” said Bismay who has fractured his legs.

“If no action is taken, we will intensify our protest. Some people have made the university a den of criminals,” said Firoj Ranahadol, a student leading the protest. After the police assured action against the culprits, they ended their protest.

Before the attack on the students, the campus had turned volatile last night after the NSUI supporters alleged that some people tore a banner hanging in front of the university.

Saheed Nagar police admitted that they had been intimated about the banner-tearing incident in the night and they were keeping an eye on the situation.

The group of students who were protesting on the campus today said last night’s incident in the hostel was the clash between two groups of students of integrated courses. “None of the NSUI supporters had attacked them in the night. My friends who are named in their complaint were in the police station at that time when they were allegedly attacked. We also demand action against those who create such kind of atmosphere on the campus,’ said Ajay Kumar Pani, their leader.

Assistant commissioner of police Bishnu Mishra said they got the complaint from the victims this morning and would take action against the accused after inquiring into the matter.