The Pondicherry University Students' Council headed by the Students' Federation of India (SFI) started an indefinite hunger strike on Thursday demanding better infrastructural facilities, rollback of fee hike and free transportation for local residents, which is now also being supported by the Bharathiya Janata Party (BJP) Pondicherry Unit.

In a letter to the PU vice-Chancellor on Friday, the BJP Puducherry Unit wrote, "We are deeply disturbed by the indefinite hunger strike launched by the students of Pondicherry University for certain charter of demands. It is of paramount importance to put a stop to the hunger strike as it is a push back to the students' learning environment, career prospect and gravely affects their academic and co-curricular activities."

The BJP unit showed full support to the demands put forward by the SFI. "We are of the opinion that their demand for 25 per cent reservation to the son of the soil in all the courses as there is no rationalisation to refuse reservation to the people of Puducherry (sic)," they stated in the letter.

The letter also went on to say that the students' demand for free bus facility is reasonable and that it is not acceptable to levy Rs 8000 per annum as bus fare. "Furthermore, the exorbitant fee hike by the varsity is totally detrimental to the peaceful academic learning of the students and is also against social justice," the written document added.

The BJP unit concluded the letter supporting the demand for better hostel facilities and said that "it cannot be taken lightly as the living environment affects the students' standard of learning. Above all, the demand for a student-friendly administration is highly reasonable. We strongly recommend to appoint an efficient and capable Registrar immediately."