ABVP activists beat up Missionary College staff in Yogi’s Gorakhpur

In Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s home town Gorakhpur, a group of unruly activists of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) beat up staff and teachers of a Missionary college, alleging corruption in the institute run by Catholic Diocese of India.

Nearly 40 activists of ABVP reportedly barged into the office of Saint Andrew's College and allegedly assaulted the Proctorial board staff and teachers when they were not allowed to meet the principal of the college.

Principal of the college, JK Lal, has lodged a written complaint against general secretary of the ABVP's Gorakhpur unit, Saurabh Kumar Gaur and 40 others unnamed ABVP workers.

“They (ABVP activists) were alleging corruption in the institute. Around 40 of them barged into the office and wanted to meet me. The staff told them that a delegation of only 5-6 people can be allowed to meet the principal. This infuriated them and they started assaulting members of the proctorial board. They even beat up non-teaching staff,” Lal told National Herald on telephone.

The whole incident has been recorded on the CCTV. The College administration has submitted the footage to the police as the proof of how ABVP activists thrashed the staff and vandalised the office.

St Andrews College is around 100-year-old minority college run by Catholic Diocese of India and is credited as an institution that has produced the who’s who in Gorakhpur. Even today, wards of the top political leaders, including those belonging to the Saffron party, are studying here.

The principal stated that the college administration has written a letter to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Governor Ram Naik demanding action against the guilty.

The college staff including the teachers have threatened to go on strike if the police protect the guilty.

The ABVP, on the other hand, alleged that the institute was neck-deep in corruption. “It was a peaceful demonstration. Some of the leaders wanted to meet the principal and when the permission was denied, we came back,” Prakash Pandey, media in-charge ABVP said.

Panday, however, alleged that the members of college administration clashed with them. “We have submitted our counter-complaint to the Chief Minister and local administration,” he claimed.