Patna, May 28: The agitating teachers of Patna University (PU) today decided to defer their protest till next week after an appeal by Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi in view of President A P J Abdul Kalam's three-day visit to the state. The decision to defer their protest programme was taken at an emergency meeting of Patna University Teachers Association (PUTA) after the end of their 72-hour strike today, PUTA joint secretary B N Tiwari said. The chief minister and the director general of police has appealed to PUTA to give them time in view of the presidential visit, he said. PUTA joint secretary said the teachers and university staff would attend work till a further agitational programme was chalked out by PUTA, which would decide its future course of agitation at its June 2 meeting. Earlier, vice-chancellor K K Jha met the agitating teachers while they were on dharna at the entrance of the university office and apprised them of his conversation with the CM, RJD president Laloo Prasad Yadav, the DGP and Patna district magistrate and their appeal. The teachers under the banner of PUTA held a 72-hour strike demanding immediate arrest of the killers of Prof Lal, head of department of chemistry of Patna Science College, who was shot dead by unidentified criminals on Saturday allegedly for refusal to pay extortion money. They also demanded fool-proof security arrangements in the university campus. The strike paralysed work at the university. Bureau Report