JNU protest: Several student leaders detained
Several members of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) were detained after they tried to take out a protest rally towards the Ministry of Education on Thursday afternoon. According to sources, JNUSU president Aditi Mishra, former JNUSU president Nitish Kumar and several other protesters have been detained. However, there was no immediate confirmation from the Delhi Police on the detentions.
The protesting students assembled at Sabarmati T Point on the campus on Thursday afternoon and began moving in groups carrying placards and banners. As they tried to take the rally outside the campus, they were stopped by the heavy security deployment at the strongly barricaded university gate.
The organisers said the march was aimed at addressing the alleged “institutional neglect” in higher education institutions.
Security personnel have been deployed inside and outside the university amid continuing tensions after a JNUSU protest turned violent on Monday. The protest had led to incidents of stone-pelting and physical altercations between the JNUSU and the ABVP.
Delhi Police has also registered an FIR against JNUSU office-bearers in connection with the incident. The JNUSU had been protesting over allegations of caste discrimination on campus and seeking stronger implementation of University Grants Commission regulations. They have also demanded enactment of the “Rohith Vemula Act”, increased funding for public institutions, and the resignation of the JNU Vice-Chancellor.
The Rohith Vemula Act is proposed legislation aimed at eliminating caste-based discrimination in higher education institutions.
Reacting to the developments in JNU, RJD’s Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha said on X that reports of a sudden security deployment in and around the university have understandably caused anxiety among students and faculty.
“I have said it earlier and repeat that universities are spaces of ideas, not uncertainty, and any such action without clear communication unsettles the academic environment. At this moment, the authorities owe the campus community clarity and dialogue. A confident democracy governs its universities through trust, not opacity. Jai Hind,” Jha said.
According to visuals shared on social media, the university gate could be seen strongly barricaded amid heavy security deployment, even as the protesters were trying to take the rally outside the campus.
