JNU students protest over hostel fee hike: Delhi Police files FIR against protesters; security forces 'manhandled' women students, alleges JNUSU

The Delhi Police on Tuesday registered an FIR against the students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in connection with protests against the hike in JNU hostel fees. The JNU Students' Union president Aishe Ghosh leveled allegations of manhandling against the police and CRPF personnel during a march from the university campus towards the Parliament on Monday. Asserting that the protest will not end till the hostel fee hike was completely withdrawn and other demands were met, the students continued their agitation on the university campus.

According to police, nearly 30 police personnel and 15 students were injured during the eight-hour long protest, which brought road traffic and metro services to a temporary halt in Delhi. One FIR was registered at the Kishangarh police station, while another was lodged at the Lodhi Colony police station, a senior police official told PTI.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Atul Kumar Thakur, a case under IPC sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) was registered at the Lodhi Colony police station regarding an incident Monday at Aurobindo Marg.

He said that IPC sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committ­ed in prosecution of common object), 151 (knowingly joining or continuing in assembly of five or more persons after it has been commanded to disperse), 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) and section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act were also added to the FIR.

JNU students march towards the Parliament. PTI

There was no immediate reaction regarding the FIRs from the JNUSU.

The students on Tuesday continued their agitation in the university campus , reported ANI.

"The police erected the first barricade near the North gate of the university. We tried to explain to the police that it was important for the students to go outside and counter the false narrative being spread by the Vice-Chancellor that the JNU students are free loaders, that they wanted 'freebies'," she said.

"So we resumed our march but we were stopped again and the CRPF started attacking students in front of us. I went to hep the students and I was manhandled by the police in front of mediapersons, " she said.

Terming the  police personnel's behaviour as shameful, she claimed that male police were "manhandling" women protesters, including herself.

She also alleged that the JNUSU office bearers were separated and detained by the police under the garb of taking them to meet a delegation of the Ministry of Human Resource Development  at night.

"Our only demand was to meet the HRD delegation. We were waiting for the delegation when the lights went off suddenly and the police baton charged us again before we could understand what was happening. They took the four office-bearers separately under the guise of taking us to meet the delegation. The police tactfully separated us till so that we could not consult each other, nor could we talk to the rest of the students," she claimed.

She added that they were later allowed to meet the delegation and requested HRD secretary GC Hosur that no administrative or legal action be taken against protesting students. The Students' Union reiterated that the students would continue their agitation until the hostel fee hike was rolled back completely.

"Students have been getting notices through e-mail for these protests. But these protests are for a just cause and no student will pay even a single-rupee fine," she told reporters.

The students' union alleged that the registrar of the university refused to meet the members of the HRD Ministry-appointed panel for mediating between the agitating students and the administration and recommending ways to restore the normal functioning of the varsity.

"We have got to know that the registrar refused to meet the HRD Ministry-appointed panel to mediate between us and the university. See their high-handedness. When they can refuse to entertain government representatives, how can they be expected to talk to us," Ghosh said.

There was no immediate response from the registrar or the university administration on the allegations of the JNUSU.

Former JNUSU president Shehla Rashid hit out at "government supporters" for "circulating private pictures of the protesters".

Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha was briefly adjourned over the issue of fee hike in JNU after members of the Opposition including TMC's Saugata Roy , Congress' TN Prathapan and  BSP's Danish Ali accused the government of using force to suppress the voice of students.

The students of the university on Monday took out a protest march to the Parliament, opposing the recent fee hike against which an agitation has been going on for over three weeks. During their clash with the police, the students alleged that they were baton-charged by the men in uniform. According to CNN-News18, a student with visual disability was critically injured and later admitted to AIIMS. However, top police officials denied using force against the students.

The police detained about 100 protestors, including JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh, secretary Satish Chandra Yadav and former JNUSU president N Sai Balaji.

With inputs from agencies