Amid mounting tensions on the FTII campus, five students were arrested in a midnight swoop for rioting after they confined the premier institute's director to his chamber, prompting the government to form a team of senior I&B department officials to resolve the 70-day-old crisis.
The arrested students were later enlarged on bail by a Pune court.
The arrest of the students for allegedly vandalising the office of institute's director Devendra Patharbe drew sharp response from Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, besides the film fraternity.
"Protesting #FTII students arrested in #midnightcrackdown. Our students are not criminals Modiji. Silence. Suspend. Arrest: ModiMantra for AcheDin," Rahul said in a tweet.
Kejriwal expressed "shock" over the police action and alleged the institution was being "systemically destroyed" as he offered space to the students in Delhi to carry out their academic activity.
"My offer to FTII students -- Delhi govt can provide u temp space in Del. Run ur classes here till central govt agrees. If finally, central govt doesn't agree, we'll convert this place into full fledged institute n students can continue studying here only," the Chief Minister said in a series of tweets.
As the outrage over the midnight crackdown on the students mounted, the government constituted a three-member team headed by the Registrar of Newspapers for India S M Khan to assess the ground situation at the Film and Television Institute of India.
"The team headed by Khan and comprising two more I&B Ministry officials will visit Pune tomorrow and give its report on the situation there," official sources said.
