SP boycotts Uttar Pradesh Assembly proceedings over Allahabad University agitation

The Samajwadi Party on Friday staged a walkout from the Uttar Pradesh Assembly after its members were disallowed to raise the issue of students' agitation in the Allahabad University over steep fee hike, and announced a boycott of the proceedings.

As soon as the proceedings of the Assembly began, Akhilesh stood up and tried to speak on the issue but Speaker Satish Mahana did not allow him to speak out of turn.

At this, the agitated SP members raised slogans and walked out of the House.

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Thereafter, all SP MLAs, led by Akhilesh Yadav, marched back to their party office.

It is noteworthy that the students of Allahabad University have been protesting against the fee hike for over a fortnight and have also demanded the revival of the student union. The protests have intensified after many hostellers also joined in and took out a march inside the campus.

The protests are continuing even as Allahabad University pointed out that the fee has been hiked after 110 years. Since the inception of the university in 1922 - the university's Executive Council had approved the fee hike for different courses about a fortnight ago.

The university said the fee hike is the need of the hour considering the changes being brought in in accordance with the National Education Policy, under which more teachers have to be hired and new courses introduced.

The university also clarified that none of the current students would be affected as the fee hike would only be applicable for new entrants from the 2022-23 academic year.