PATNA: Students of Patna University (PU) went on rampage on Ashok Rajpath and damaged several vehicles besides those parked in front of the Elphinston and Mona cinema halls near the Kargil Chowk as part of their agitation to mark Akrosh Diwas in protest against the beating of students and press photographers by the employees of the university.

The agitating students declared that their agitation would continue until the fulfilment of their one-point demand i.e. arrest of erring university employees and PU dean (students’ welfare).

The students affiliated to different political parties took out a procession which was taken out from the Engineering College around 11 am.

Students owing allegiance to the Bihar Pradesh Chhatra Samata, almost at the same time, took out a symbolic ashti julus of the Rabri Devi government from the Patna College to register their protest over the killing of three innocent youths at Ashiana Nagar and another two at Manjhaul (Begusarai district) in “fake” encounters.

Apprehending the mood of the students, the shopkeepers on the Ashok Rajpath downed their shutters. The students, however, lost their cool as they reached near the Kargil Chowk. They dashed into the Elphinston cinema hall and damaged the ticket counters and furnitures while another group damaged the property of Mona cinema hall. Not only this, the students also turned turtle vehicles parked on the campus of the two cinema halls, besides breaking the windscreens of cars and three wheelers. Incidentally, the police force were no where seen in the vicinity.

It was only after much damage was done that the police reinforcement and riot control vehicle, Vajra, were sent to the troubled spot. By the time the police reached there, the procession turned into a rally.  Members of the Patna District Students’ People’s in a statement issued here said “let us see how long the PU vice-chancellor will keep the colleges closed”. They warned, “we are ready to give a fitting reply to the administration”. All India University Students’ Federation state president Ashtik Sharma said that if the guilty were not punished the students would mete out the same kind of treatment to the guests of vice chancellor K K Jha during the convocation ceremony slated for January 18. National Democratic Students’ Federation general secretary Amitabh Mishra declared that the turn out of a large number of students, inspite of severe cold, was indicative of the students’ power and warned that any attempt by the district and police administration to book the victim students would be replied in the same vein.Members of the Pradesh Chhatra Samata took out a procession from the Patna College raising slogans against the Rabri Devi government and also demanding its dismissal.

Meanwhile, the students’ wing of the Patna district unit of the RJD burnt the effigy of the prime minister, deputy prime minister,  and defence minister at various places in protest against the continuation of Mithilesh Kumar as secretary of governor Vinod Chandra Pande even after his                retirement.