Paramilitary forces on campus: JNU students

NEWDELHI: Members of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) on Monday said the administration has brought paramilitary personnel to the campus, ahead of a protest against the new draft hostel manual. The police however said no security personnel were inside the campus.

“We have a march planned to the vice-chancellor’s house on Monday. So, the administration has tried yet another intimidation tactic. Even last night, we received a notice warning us against the scheduled protests,” said Saket Moon, vice-president, JNUSU. He said paramilitary personnel were spotted near the vice-chancellor’s house and near the west gate of the campus.

Police, however, denied that the personnel were inside the campus. “One company force comprising 80-90 paramilitary and local police personnel are deployed outside the campus. It is just a precautionary arrangement as we have got to know about a protest over fee hike on the campus. No police officer is inside the campus,” said Devender Arya, deputy commissioner of police (southwest).

JNU vice-chancellor Jagadesh Kumar, registrar Pramod Kumar and Rector 1 Chintamani Mahapatra did not respond to requests for comment.

In the evening, students took out a protest march till Vasant Vihar police station and filed a complaint, saying the vice-chancellor is missing. “We have no other option, because the VC is not meeting us," said JNUSU general secretary Satish Yadav.

The administration and students have been at loggerheads over issues including hostel fee hike, proposed curfew timings as per new hostel manual, limiting entry timings to the Parthasarathy rocks (PSR) — a hangout spot.