Violence erupted on the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) campus in Varanasi on Monday, hours before Congress MP Rahul Gandhi arrived here for an interaction with the students.
A group of student, owing allegiance to the ABVP, went on rampage shouting slogans and pelting stones at the student council office.
The protesters claimed that passes for Mr Rahul Gandhi’s visit had been issued only to NSUI activists and other students had been denied the opportunity of interacting with the Congress leaders. The protesters also showed back flags to Mr Gandhi’s convoy.
The police resorted to lathicharge to control the rowdy protesters and later arrested 16 students.
The students in BHU have been divided over the issue of replacing the nominated student council with an elected students union and the incidents on Monday are said to be fallout of this rivalry.
Later in Allahabad, Samajwadi Yuvjan Sabha supporters clashed with Congress workers.
Mr Gandhi is currently on a tour of Varanasi, Allahabad, Lucknow, Jhansi and Agra.