The Jawaharlal Nehru Students' Union (JNUSU) on Monday staged a massive protest outside the varsity campus over recent fee hike and the hostel draft manual even as Vice President N. Venkaiah Naidu was addressing a convocation ceremony.
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 protesting students alleged that the varsity administration had put barricades at its entry gate and also deployed CRPF personnel. Several students were seen clashing with cops.
The students were beating the 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.
A protestor told news agency ANI that the protests have been going on for the last 15 days over a fee hike. "At least 40 per cent students come from a poor background. How will they study here?" the protestor added.
Sharing photographs of the blocked entry gates, former JNUSU President, N. Sai Balaji wrote, "Barricades at Ambience Mall gate and CRPF deployed."
In its latest orders, the JNU administration massively hiked the hostel, mess and security fee by a reported 400 per cent. It also limited the hostel timings.
Expressing concern, the administration said, "These agitations have affected the normal life of a large number of innocent students from across India who are unable to concentrate on their studies, complete academic assignments and prepare for their examinations."
"The administration appeals to the agitating students to stop their propaganda and falsehood campaigns, and spare the vast majority of innocent students who want to concentrate on their studies," it said.
The JNU is holding its third convocation on Monday, which is being addressed by Vice President Naidu along with Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank'.
However, the students' union has called for a boycott of the convocation and demanded the roll back of the hostel draft manual and fee hike proposed by the administration. 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.
Traffic near JNU affected due to student demonstration:
Vehicular traffic near Jawaharlal Nehru University was affected on Monday morning due to the ongoing demonstration by students against fee hike, curfew timings and dress code restrictions in the institute, the police said.
The Delhi Traffic Police in a tweet on Monday said, "Obstruction in traffic from Baba Gangnath Marg to JNU due to demonstration."
"Traffic Movement is closed on Nelson Mandela Marg from PS Vasant Vihar to PS Vasant Kunj due to demonstration. Kindly avoid the stretch," it said in another tweet.
(With inputs from agencies)
