Bhubaneswar, Oct 10: Utkal University's vice-chancellor Soumendra Mohan Patnaik, along with a few of his colleagues, staged a hunger strike in front of his office today to protest against frequent incidents of student unrest on the campus.

The vice-chancellor and his colleagues began the 'introspective silent fasting' in the morning, and it continued till the evening. He said he took the step to shun violence on the campus.

His agitation came a day after a group of students, allegedly backed by the Biju Chhatra Janata Dal, had barged into his office and demanded an explanation on cancellation of the students' union election and indefinite closure of the university.

Yesterday, Patnaik met the students and said the decision over holding students' union poll would be taken by the postgraduate council after getting legal opinion and permission from police and the state government.

There was also a tussle between the students and the police outside his office today.

Faculty members from various departments, who took part in the agitation, said the students should realise that the academic atmosphere on the campus needed to be restored at the earliest as mid-semester examinations were approaching.

In another development, higher education minister Ananta Das today said the Lyngdoh Commission guidelines did not permit holding of students' union elections after it was cancelled because of campus violence.

'The state government does not want to interfere as it is an internal matter of the varsity. If the vice-chancellor approaches us, we will hold meeting with the varsity authorities and see what can be done,' said Das.

Vice-chancellors of other varsities across the state have also come together to condemn political interference on campuses. 'It is a matter of shame for all of us. Elections on campuses have always been backed by political parties. But, it should not go out of limits,' said Fakir Mohan University vice-chancellor Madhumita Das.

'Our university follows the path of indirect elections, and I feel this pattern would be followed everywhere,' she said. Berhampur University vice-chancellor Rajendra Prasad Das said: 'It is very difficult to run a university amid such atmosphere. Our aim should be to create a conducive environment where academics is the first priority.'

The Utkal University reopened yesterday after 21 days of closure.