Police talking with students, JNU administration to resolve the crisis: Deputy Commissioner of Police Randhawa

After the scuffle between police and protesting students of JNU, Deputy Police Commissioner, Central, MS Randhawa on Monday said the police is acting as a mediator between the agitating students and the university administration.

"We are holding talks with the JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) leaders and the officials of the university administration to solve the problem," Randhawa told reporters here.

A scuffle broke out between students and the Delhi Police personnel during a protest organised by the JNUSU over fee hike and some other decisions of the university administration.

Hundreds of students took part in the protest against "massive fee hike" and the new hostel manual, which also includes provisions on dress code and curfew timings. They raised slogans against the university administration and the government.

 

The protest turned into a scuffle outside the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) auditorium where Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu was addressing the university's annual convocation. The students removed a barricade and came face to face with the police.

Earlier, hundreds of JNU students carried out a march from 'Freedom Square' to the AICTE auditorium with banners against the 'massive fee hike'.

Randhawa said the police personnel handled the situation with responsibility and were making efforts to resolve the issue.

"We had sufficient forces in place to control the protesting students. Apart from police, paramilitary personnel too had arrived at the spot. We controlled the situation while exercising full restraint," said Randhawa.

"We are in touch with the VC and we want the students' demands to be heard by the administration. Some senior officials present at the spot also talked with students," he added.

The JNUSU has been protesting for about two weeks against the new hostel manual. The JNU Vice-Chancellor had on November 8 alleged that some students kept Associate Dean Dr Vandana Mishra in illegal captivity as a part of their protest.

According to JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh, the hostel fees have been increased and "curfew and dress restrictions" have been introduced in the university.