Thursday's large scale violence and arson in the Allahabad University campus was led by none other than local Samajwadi Party leader Abhishek Yadav, who was widely known for his proximity to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.
Even as Abhishek was seen openly provoking students to escalate violence that was sparked off in the wake of the university's decision to get the hostels vacated with immediate effect, no action was initiated against him.
While heavy stone pelting and arson led to burning of four vehicles including two pubic transport buses and a jeep belonging to an additional district magistrate by bands of students who were well recognised by all and sundry on the campus, the local administration chose to get cases registered against 500 "unidentified" culprits.
Trouble began after the local police intervened to get the vice-chancellor and other university authorities released from a
'gherao' staged by the students, who retaliated most violently.
District administration officials were tight-lipped about the involvement of the ruling party activists. "We cannot say who the real culprits were as they all came in a mob; that is for the magisterial inquiry to find out," pleaded District Magistrate Anil Kumar.
Eye-witnesses, including university authorities and teachers were raising the accusing fingers at none other than Abhishek Yadav.
University Vice Chancellor AK Singh was stated to have told district authorities quite explicitly that the decision to get the hostels vacated was taken in view of reports that some self-styled student leaders had been occupying university hostels for more than one or two decades.
An official report said that most of such students continued to get themselves enrolled in one or the other course with the sole intention of clutching on to hostels, from where they ran their businesses.
The report also confirmed involvement of some such student leaders in construction contracts.
Abhishek Yadav had first shot into the spotlight during the last state assembly elections when he was held for showing black flags to Rahul Gandhi at a Congress rally in Allahabad.
Later, he was seen perched right behind Akhilesh Yadav during the course of the latter's much publicised 'rath yatra' in the run-up to the assembly poll in UP.
