The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students on Monday took out a march towards the Rashtrapati Bhawan as they sought an appointment with the President over the hostel fee hike issue but were stopped by the Delhi Police. The students alleged that police used force near Bhikaji Cama Place but police denied their claims.
Heavy deployment of police was in place ahead of the march from the JNU students. According to Anil Mittal, Additional Public Relation Officer (APRO) of Delhi Police, roads leading to the campus were shut for traffic and appeals made to students to protest peacefully but students moved towards the AIIMS which lead to the traffic chaos in South Delhi.
"Police did not lathi charge on students. They were stopped at Bhikaji Cama Place metro station but they move towards AIIMS and disrupted traffic movement. Police pushed them back in order to maintain proper traffic movement in the area," said Mittal.
"Police had also deployed five district police personnel and nine companies including three women companies from Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to handle the crowd. Police have not detained any students," said Mittal.
According to JNU Students Union (JNUSU) president Aishe Ghosh, several students, including girls, have been detained by police who brutally attacked the protesters, asking them to go back to campus.
"We will not budge from here until our demands are met and a complete rollback in the fee is announced. Police first stopped and then attacked us while the march was going on peacefully. Over 30 students were injured. We will anyhow head to Rashtrapati Bhawan," Shreya Ghosh, one of the protesters claimed.
The students circulated photos on social media sites, claiming police have closed all gates of the university before beginning the march. As they began, they shouted slogans like "Delhi Police go back" and "Education must be free for all".
Following the protest, entry and exit at three metro stations in Central Delhi which were closed for over four hours following instructions from Delhi Police are now open, according to officials at Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).
The Udyog Bhawan, Lok Kalyan Marg and Central Secretariat metro stations were closed at 1.15 pm on Monday in view of multiple protests near the stations on Monday.
"As advised by Delhi Police, entry & exit at Udyog Bhawan, Lok Kalyan Marg and Central Secretariat have been closed. Trains are not halting at Udyog Bhawan and Lok Kalyan Marg," the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) had said on Twitter.
Traffic movement was slow at various intersections in South Delhi due to a protest march taken out by JNU. "Due to the demonstration, the traffic movement is affected on road leading to Dhaula Kuan from AIIMS. The commuters should avoid the route," the Delhi Traffic Police tweeted.
"The traffic movement on Africa Avenue was slow and the route from Bhikaji Cama Place is obstructed. Kindly avoid this stretch," the police said.
JNU students took out the protest march to the Rashtrapati Bhavan demanding an appointment with the president, who is also the visitor of the university, to seek his intervention in the hostel fee hike issue.
Earlier in the day, traffic movement was closed on Baba Gangnath Marg to Sarojni Nagar depot, Africa Avenue road, both carriageway of Sant Nagar depot and Hyatt to Leela Hotel due to demonstration. Traffic was diverted from Leela Hotel towards INA.
The students have been protesting for over a month inside the campus against the hostel fee hike and have also called for boycott of the upcoming semester exams, despite repeated appeals by the administration asking them to return to classes.
The HRD Ministry had set up a three-member committee to look into ways to restore normal functioning in the JNU and mediate between the agitating students and the administration. The panel submitted its report to the ministry but no call has been taken yet.