JNU VC appeals to students to call off their strike

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Vice Chancellor Prof M Jagadesh Kumar on Tuesday appealed to the varsity students, who are protesting over several issues including fee hike, to call off their strike.

"I will request the protesting students to call off their strike because many of the suggestions of theirs have been considered favourably. For example, we have put utilities and services charges on hold. We have written to the HRD, the UGC to release funds for these charges. I don't see any reason why these protesting students do not call off their strike. We will make sure the academic activities of the university are not affected," Kumar told ANI.

The JNU VC alleged that some protesters tried to stop students from the registration process.

"Last semester in December, some protesting students closed down some schools. They did not allow the examination to take place. In other schools, exams took place normally," he said.

"When the new semester started, these protesters wanted to stop thousands of students from registering for their new semester. If anyone has a disagreement, it is his right to protest and express his grievances," he said.

"But preventing students from carrying on their academic activities is certainly not a way of protest. Some of these protesting students entered our data centre and demanded computers, fiber optical and power supplies and made the entire university dysfunctional. I and other officials met several students," said Kumar.

The Vice-Chancellor termed the violence on Sunday as "unfortunate," saying that "violence is never an answer to any grievances."

On reports that some wardens of the university have resigned after the incident, Kumar said: "There were rumours that some wardens have resigned. Our wardens haven't resigned,"

"There is no such resignation that has taken place. Some protesting students surrounded our wardens, shouted on them and humiliated them. Is it a way to have any dialogue," he asked.

On Sunday, the masked mob entered the JNU campus and attacked the students with sticks and rods in which more than 30 students were injured and taken to the AIIMS Trauma Centre.

Two separate FIRs have also been filed against JNU Students' Union president Aishe Ghosh for allegedly vandalising the server room of JNU and attacking the staff members.