Lucknow University was closed sine die on Friday after its vice-chancellors and principals of affiliated colleges met Uttar Pradesh [Images] Governor T V Rajeshwar seeking intervention to control students protesting the Lyngdoh Committee report.

The students union elections scheduled for December 16 were also cancelled by Vice-Chancellor R P Singh who cited his inability to control the lawlessness in the campus due to non-cooperation of the police and the civil administration.

"In view of the prevailing atmosphere in the campus and the colleges, it is not possible to hold the union elections in a free and fair manner and to run the academic activities peacefully," he told reporters after meeting the governor, who is the chancellor of the university.

The VC and college principals alleged the police and administration were not supporting the university authorities in holding students' union elections as per the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations.

"There are a handful of student leaders who create problems. We are firm on our stand to hold union elections as per the new guidelines or else the elections will not be held," Singh said.

Singh apprised the governor that some student leaders were provided armed security and had arms licenses, requesting his intervention in the matter, sources said.

Reports of similar protests were received from Gorkahpur, Deoria and other districts.

Police on Thursday used batons to disperse students marching towards Raj Bhavan to hand over a memorandum to the governor on the issue.

As per the Lyngdoh panel recommendations, the university has fixed 25 years as the age limit for postgraduate students to contest union elections. In case of research scholars, the cap is 28 years.

Students with criminal records are debarred from contesting elections, a clause which has led to resentment among the students.

The university has earlier issued a notification for the union polls and nominations are to be filed on December 11 and polling scheduled on December 16.