Demanding a complete rollback of the hostel fee hike, thousands of JNU students today started their protest march from the university campus towards the Parliament amid heavy police deployment. Authorities imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 in and outside the university and stopped the march a kilometer away from the university gate after the students crossed three layers of police barricading.
Entry and exit points of three Delhi Metro stations near Parliament have been shut down temporarily due to the ongoing JNU protest, authorities said on Monday. “As advised by Delhi Police, trains are not halting at Udyog Bhawan and Patel Chowk. Exit/Entry gates for Udyog Bhawan, Patel Chowk and Central Secretariat have been closed temporarily,” the DMRC tweeted.
In face of unrelenting protests, the police has resorted to lathi charge. The JNU students are gathered near the Safdarjung tomb. After the resistance of police force, the protesting JNU students took an alternate route from Bikaji Cama Place to continue their march towards Parliament against the recent fee hike implemented in the university.
Cong spokesperson Pawan Khera, says the crackdown by Police shows that the government is afraid of the youth. “It clearly shows that this govt is afraid of the youth of India. It is afraid of any University which encourages free school of thought. The proposed fee hike would make JNU one of the most expensive universities, students are right in demanding a roll back,” he said. Meanwhile Delhi Police PRO has said that they will inquire into lathi charge allegations made by JNU students.
