BU staff join students in protest to ban public entry into Jnanabharathi campus

Student protest at the Jnanabharathi campus intensified as Bangalore University (BU) teachers and non-teaching staff joined the demonstration.

Students began protesting on Monday calling for a ban on public transport inside the campus after a BMTC bus ran over an MSc student.

The demonstration continued on Tuesday as varsity teachers and non-teaching staff joined the students until the authorities concerned would accept the demand and stop public entry into the campus. “No other public university in the state allows public movement inside the campus,” said a senior faculty.

“Banning public entry into the campus has been one of our long-pending demands. This time we will not compromise,” added another faculty member.

Housing Minister V Somanna visited the campus and urged the students and staff to withdraw the strike. “I was the first to make a request to ban public vehicle movement inside the campus. Even the Chief Minister is aware of the incident that occurred on Monday. The Chief Minister is touring, and we will discuss the issue with him once he is back,” said Somanna.

But students and staff decided to carry on with the protest.

BMTC bus accident: Student critical

Shilpashree, 22, who was ran over by the BMTC bus on Monday, is battling for life at the hospital. Hospital authorities said she underwent an eight-hour surgery on Monday and has severe blood loss. BU students have donated 35 units of blood.

Another accident on campus

A motorist fell while negotiating a speed-breaker inside the Jnanabharathi campus at 8.30 pm on Tuesday, just 36 hours after MSc student Shilpashree was ran over by a BMTC bus.

Jnanabharathi police shifted the motorist with severe head injuries to a nearby hospital. Police are yet to obtain more details about the motorist.