JNU shifts Executive Council meeting to Admin block as students protests intensify

Jawaharlal Nehru Students' Union (JNUSU) is holding a protest against the draft hostel manual since morning in front of the Administration Block on campus where the Executive Council is set to meet later on Wednesday. They also alleged that the Delhi Police had deployed personnel in 'civil dress' on campus.

Providing a picture of the scene at the protest site, N Sai Balaji, the AISA National President said that the administration has brought in police officers, who are dressed as civilians to blend into the crowd. "This act is simply atrocious. This is a daylight murder of democracy. What if they manhandle or attack students? What if they are thugs? Who knows? Why is JNU admin paying 17 crore to Cyclops? Delhi Police Commissioner can become the VC of the varsity. Why this hypocrisy of having a VC, when it's the Delhi Police that's dealing, attacking and negotiating with students?"  

Delhi Police in civil dress, alleged students

The Students' Union has been on a strike against the draft hostel manual, approved by the Inter-Hall administration, which it claims has provisions for hostel fee hike, dress code and curfew timings. The draft hostel manual might come up for discussion at the Executive Council (EC) meeting on Wednesday and if approved, will be implemented. Students want the IHA meeting which was convened without their participation on October 28, where the draft hostel manual was passed, be held again. They want the EC members to raise the issue and ensure that the draft hostel manual is not implemented. The students will be submitting a memorandum of their demands to the EC member for the same.

The JNU students, who have been protesting against the proposed fee hike and the Draft Hostel Manual, had marched to the AICTE Auditorium at 8 am on Monday, November 11 where the third convocation was going on. Protesting students said that they were met with barricades and a huge police force along with a CRPF battalion who were mobilising water canons and tear gases. They left from in front of the AICTE building at around 6 pm after the day-long protest. The VC, with whom the students have demanded to meet for the past two weeks, allegedly, left with the MHRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' after the union minister told the students that he will look into the matter.

Since Tuesday was a holiday, the students continued with their strike but did not hold any protests. On Tuesday, the students of FTII, Pune and the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) expressed solidarity with the JNU students and staged protests on their respective campuses. The students of Delhi University's Campus Law Centre also released a statement to condemn the alleged police brutality on JNU students who protested outside the varsity's convocation venue on Monday. The members of Left-affiliated All India Students' Association at Ambedkar University will also be holding a national protest in solidarity on Wednesday.