Students burn effigies of UPA govt over CUJ issue

Srinagar, June 30: Demanding the state and Central governments to immediately start the academic session at the Central University of Jammu, a group of students today held a protest demonstration and burnt effigies of the UPA government here.

The Ministry of Human Resource Development had announced the opening of the Central University of Jammu (CUJ), along with 11 other universities throughout the country in February 2009.

While the academic sessions in other universities have already begun, CUJ”s opening was stalled following a controversy over the appointment of the university”s Vice Chancellor.

Over 300 student activists held protest demonstrations and burnt effigies of the UPA government in front of the Fountain plaza in Jammu University.

Raising anti-government slogans, students demanded the state and Central governments to immediately begin the academic session at CUJ.

“Jammu and Ladakh have been ignored by the UPA govt since it came to power and they have been caring too much about Kashmir by granting it special political and economic packages,” said Vikas Sharma, President of National Secular Forum, an organisation for students.

He said that the academic session at CUJ had already been delayed by a year, while the central universities in other parts of the country had already started functioning.

The NSF leader also appealed to all the MPs, MLAs and Ministers of Jammu to support the university and to appoint a local Vice Chancellor at the earliest.

“If the UPA-Government fails in appointing a local VC, then we will once again launch a mass agitation,” he said.

——-Agencies