Varanasi, Mar 24 (IANS): Violence erupted in the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) premises as inmates of the Birla and Lal Bahadur Shastri hostels attacked one another with brickbats, following a clash overplaying Holi on the campus.

The incident took place late Tuesday and a heavy deployment of the police force has been made on the campus.

BHU chief proctor Prof Anand Chaudhary said that a large number of students have started leaving their hostel rooms in view of the spread of Covid-19 in many hostels on campus and also in view of the festival of Holi which is on March 29.

Students present in Birla and LBS hostels were playing colours on the hostel road between the buildings of two hostels when some dispute occurred between them and they clashed.

Soon the situation deteriorated. Some inmates of the Birla hostel climbed up onto the terrace of the hostel and were pelting stones from there.

SP City Vikas Chandra Tripathi said that on being alerted by the BHU administration, the police force was rushed to the campus. Inmates of both hostels were sent inside their rooms.

The officials of university administration, hostels, proctorial board and police spoke to the students of both groups and convinced them to return to their hostel rooms.

The situation remains tense but under control, officials said.