CHENNAI: Around 200 students of the Misrimal Navajee Munoth Jain Engineering College gathered in front of Loyola College to mobilise the support of students for the anti-graft movement, which entered its seventh day, here on Monday. They were, however, prevented from entering the premises.Around 1.30 pm, about 50 students of MNM Jain Engineering College, Thoraipakkam, came on motorcycles raising slogans in support of Anna Hazare and waved flags towards passing motorists. The students stopped their vehicles a few metres away from Loyola College. Deepak and his classmates in MNM Jain Engineering College said that they started their rally around 7.30 am after seeking permission from their college management. “We went to the fast venue first at Thiruvanmiyur and expressed our solidarity before we started for Loyola College,” they said, adding that many girls had reached the venue by bus.Prithvi, vice-president of Loyola College Students’ Union, and K Sujeeth, a college union member, joined the waiting students and marched towards the college. When they reached the main gate in their attempt to gain entry inside the college, they were prevented by the college management and police. The students were asked to leave the spot and were told that the college management would take a decision after consultation with the students’ union and the staff.The students then gathered a little away from the Loyola College gate and continued to shout slogans ‘Loyola join us,’ for the next couple of hours.Prithvi and Sujeeth told Express that the students refused to join the protest as the management did not let them. Prithvi added that a few of the students joined the protest after college hours.Volunteers of India Against Corruption claimed that students from Pachaiyappa’s, Women’s Christian College, Ethiraj College and Stella Maris, had participated in the protest and the New College students too organised a human chain in front of their college.When contacted, Loyola College Vice-Principal, M J Mahalingam, said that a student union member had spread rumours that the principal had allowed students to join the stir. “But it was wrong. The students union, staff and management have differences over Hazare’s methods of fighting graft. We are discussing how to register our protest. Only after we arrive at a decision, can we organise a stir. If any untoward incident happens to the students, we are answerable,” he added.
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