New Delhi:
Jawaharlal Nehru University students, who are on protest against the draft hostel manual since last week, on Monday claimed that the administration had called paramilitary force inside the campus.
However, a senior police officer said the paramilitary personnel did not enter the campus and were stationed outside as a precautionary measure.
JNU Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar urged students to resume their academic activities.
The students’ union of the varsity organised a march inside the campus against the hostel manual, which had provisions for fee hike, curfew timings and dress code regulations.
After the march, they were supposed to go to Vasant Kunj police station to file a ‘missing complaint’ for the vice-chancellor. The students alleged that Delhi Police did not allow them to hold a “peaceful march” to the IIT gate.
“We condemn the way the matter is being sensationalised by the state and the media by deploying CRPF on campus,” the students said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Devender Arya said, “A company comprising 80-90 paramilitary personnel was deployed at the varsity gate as a precautionary measure due to the protest over hostel fee hike. No policeman entered the campus.”
There was no response from the administration on this claim.
The varsity vice-chancellor said that provosts have invited hostel presidents for a meeting on Wednesday.
“We request the hostel presidents to meet their provosts along with the wardens and discuss their issues. We appeal to the students to resume their academic activities. Issues can be resolved through dialogue with the officials of Inter Hall Administration,” Kumar said.
It is due to the student community’s continuing efforts that a meeting of provosts has been called with all the hostel presidents, ostensibly to discuss the fee hike, the students’ union said.
The union called upon all hostel residents to invite their wardens to reject the hostel manual and fee hike.
“However, any failure to do so should logically lead to their resignation as they do not enjoy the confidence of the students,” it said.
The students’ union current office-bearers and former presidents Geeta Kumari and Sai Balaji were issued notices for protesting at the administration block on October 31 against the hostel manual.
The students have been protesting over a range of issues, including restrictions on entry to PAR rocks, locking of the students’ union office and the draft hostel manual.
