Multi-party delegation of RS MPs seeks HRD minister's intervention to resolve JNU crisis

A multi-party delegation of elder parliamentarians on Thursday met Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' and sought his intervention to resolve the month-long JNU crisis over the students' hostel fee hike.

The delegation, which met the minister and submitted him a memorandum on their demand for resolution of the student crisis, comprised all Rajya Sabha members, including Amee Yajnik, Rajeev Gowda, L Hanumanthaiah and Syed Naseer Hussain of the Congress, Binoy Viswam and K K Ragesh of the CPI and Manoj Jha of RJD, said a release by JNU teachers' association.

While apprising the minister of the issues raised by the JNU teachers and students, the MPs also expressed concern over the "total breakdown" of communicationand democratic procedures because of the "autocratic behaviour" of the current JNU Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar.

They urged the minister to intervene in the matter and help break the ongoing deadlock, the JNUTA said.

A joint delegation of the JNU teachers association and students too met and apprised the parliamentarians of various parties of their grievances and sought their intervention in "stemming the rot" in the university administration, the JNUTA said.

The JNU students have been observing a strike for over a month now over the hike in hostel fees.