JNU row: Arundhati Roy, Kavita Krishnan join AISA protest

Author-activist Arundhati Roy and All India Progressive Women's Association Secretary Kavita Krishnan on Tuesday joined the protest by the All India Students' Association's (AISA), a Left-wing students' organisation, at the Mandi House here demanding withdrawal of sedition charges slapped on Jawaharlal Nehru University students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya.

The protest will be led by JNU students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar from the Mandi House to Parliament Street.

The protesters are also demanding immediate release of Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya from the jail and a transparent probe into the allegations against them.

Though the protest march was to be commenced at 2.30 p.m, it was delayed as Kanhaiya is yet to join the protesters comprising students and teachers of the university and other intellectuals, besides Roy and Krishnan.

Roy is likely to address the protesters at Parliament Street.

Meanwhile, Kanhaiya told ANI, "I appeal to everyone to join us as we are fighting to save democracy. We want support from outside Delhi as well in our march for freedom."

"We demand certain things such as implementation of a Rohith Vemula Act and the students who have arrested should be released," he said.

"A show-cause notice has been issued, which seeks my response on certain issues by 5 p.m. on March 16. We will hold a meeting on the notice, and decide what to do in this regard," he added.