A section of students of the Presidency University here went on an indefinite fast on Friday demanding withdrawal of the suspension of three students.
The three students were suspended on December 19 for locking the gate of the university and preventing the Vice Chancellor and other officials from entering the premises on September 10 when agitation over the hand over of Hindu Hostel was going on.
A spokesman of the agitating students Subho Biswas told PTI, 7 students including the three suspended ones sat for indefinite fast from 9 pm Friday demanding withdrawal of the suspension order and they be allowed to attend classes.
The institute has unions of both SFI and Independent Consolidation (IC).
Biswas said that a written appeal by the three to the university authorities for revoking the suspension order was turned down and they were asked to issue "unconditional apology" which the three students refused to do.
Referring to the September 10 incident of locking the gate, a day before the Convocation, he said "the three have been singled out among the 500 agitating students as main troublemakers on that day but under what logic is not clear."
He alleged the inquiry committee, formed by the university authority to probe the incident, adopted a vindictive policy and did not speak to everyone concerned.
The fast followed after the students approached the dean and registrar for withdrawal of the suspension on Thursday but both officials ruled out any such possibility, a university official said.
Ruling out any step by VC Anuradha Lohia to revoke the suspension of three, the official said Lohia has already reduced the suspension period of the three students from one year to six months considering their career prospects though the enquiry committee had recommended one year suspension for three students and six months suspension for another 18.
These 18 students were allowed by VC to go with a warning that the institute will be stricter against such conduct in the future, the official said adding the university authorities could do nothing more on the issue.
Lohia was not available for comments.
Since November 28, boarders were allocated rooms in the Hindu Hostel, the over 130-year-old accommodation, after completion of renovation in two blocks. Students had gone on fast for immediate shifting to Hindu Hostel in October last year.
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