Cops form 3-tier chain to rescue Pokhriyal

NEW DELHI: Nearly 200 security personnel had to form a 50m long three layered human chain to rescue Union human resource development minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) V-C M Jagadesh Kumar.

Around 4.15pm, police created a safe passage for the minister’s motorcade of five vehicles. Pokhriyal and JNU V-C, in separate vehicles, left the AICTE premises around 4pm, even as students tried their best to break through the security cauldron and stop them from leaving the venue.

Police said some protesters hurled shoes, slippers, water bottles and other items at the vehicles. “Since the students were almost 50m away, the items they hurled were deflected by the security personnel,” a police officer, who did not want to be named, said.

Pokhriyal along with vicepresident Venkaiah Naidu had gone to the AICTE auditorium to attend JNU’S third convocation at 9am. While Naidu left the premises around 11.40am, the HRD minister, vice-chancellor and other officials stayed behind to distribute certificates to students.

Around noon, nearly 1,500 students and members of JNU students’ union (JNUSU) gathered outside the AICTE gate after evading the security personnel who tried to contain them at the north gate of the campus — the main entry/exit to the campus. Police had blocked that gate with iron barricades.

“We had also barricaded the west gate of the campus. Around noon, the protesters turned aggressive, broke the barricades and managed to leave the campus through both gates. They then assembled outside the AICTE building while Pokhriyal, the vice-chancellor and other officials were inside. The students continued their protest, demanding a rollback of proposed changes to hostel rules and demanded that the V-C come out and meet them,” the officer said.

As the protest escalated, senior police officers, including special commissioner of police RS Krishnia, were sent to the spot.

After two rounds of talks between student representatives, HRD minister and JNU officials failed, the protesters refused to leave the AICTE building or let the dignitaries leave. The police then chalked out a strategy to form multiple human chains and create a safe passage for them.

DCP (southwest) Devender Arya said three separate groups of security personnel led by senior officers were formed — one for engaging with protesters, another for acting as messengers between protesters and the JNU administration, and the third to push the protesters back.

The security personnel segregated the protesting students into smaller groups by pushing them back by almost 50m from the AICTE gate.

“We formed a three-layered chain. Around 4pm, the minister, the V-C and others were provided a safe exit from the AICTE building,” Arya said.