BHUBANESWAR: Even as a group of students of Utkal University sought intervention of Governor Rameshwar Thakur on withdrawal of cases against them on Friday, the university authorities seemed to have succeeded in warding off a potential `disorder' on the campus for the time being.

The group submitted a memorandum addressed to the Governor as well as teachers' council seeking withdrawal of criminal cases registered against 30 students.

Stir threat

The students threatened if cases were not withdrawn immediately they would mobilise students from all colleges of the State to launch an agitation.

"We will continue to protest election to students' union until cases are pending against our names," Tapas Sethi, a student, said.

The cases were registered by another group of students following a group clash in September last.

Meanwhile, the authorities managed to convince the other group not to resort to hunger strike since clarifications had been sought from the government on conducting students union election.

"We have urged higher authorities to clarify that if the students' union election should be held on old regulation or a new regulation is needed in the wake of Lyngdoh Committee recommendations," Utkal University Registrar Bichitrananda Das said.He said the government would take around eight to 10 days to get back to the university on the issue. "Vice-Chancellor L.N. Mishra has asked for a few more days to declare elections. We have agreed to his advice," Subhasish Acharya, another student, said.

Sources said the two groups of students were inching towards agreeing to a compromise formula.

While some teachers were convincing these two warring fractions to come to the discussion table, the students were trying hard not to let Lyngdoh Committee recommendations implemented in this election.

Utkal University campus has been on turmoil after PG Council announced that election would be held on March 1. But subsequently it was kept in abeyance.

While the group against whom cases were pending chose the occasion to come clean, the opponent group had tried to `settle score' by demanding immediate poll.

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