JNU students protest over fee hike, dress code

Hundreds of students protested near the Jawaharlal Nehru University here on Monday against the administration’s “anti-students” policy.

Students wanted to march towards the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), where Vice President Venkaiah Naidu is addressing the university’s convocation at an auditorium.

The gates of the AICTE, around 3 km from the JNU, were locked and the security personnel were stationed in and outside the premises in wake of the protests that started in the morning. The students later reached the convocation area at around 11.30 am.

According to a senior officer, the students broke barricades and marched towards the auditorium. Some of the protesters have been detained.

The students were beating tambourine and raising slogans, with placards in their hands, calling Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar a “thief”. “Delhi Police Go Back” slogans were also being raised.

Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal is not being able to come out of the venue and the police are requesting the students to let him go.

“JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh and vice president Saket Moon were asked to talk to the students to make way for the HRD minister. Police requested the protesters to move from the gate, but they refused,” an officer said.

Police are now taking the JNUSU office-bearers to meet V-C.

Students want to meet the V-C and demand a withdrawal of the draft hostel manual, which they claimed has provisions for fee hike, dress code and curfew timings.

The protest is part of the agitation against the hostel manual and several other issues like restrictions by the administration on entry to the Parthasarathy Rocks, attempts to lock students’ union office, according to the students.

The students’ union has been on a strike against the draft hostel manual, which was approved by the inter-hall administration. They have said the strike would not end the hostel manual is withdrawn.