JNU Showdown: Protesting Students Break Police Barricades, Clashes Near Ber Sarai

A massive showdown ensued between the JNU students and the Delhi Police personnel as the protests intensified near the campus area on Monday. Students were seen breaking the police barricades. The agitating students were stopped near Ber Sarai. Many were seen being dragged away from the protests site. The students are demanding a complete rollback of the hostel fee hike. The varsity's students have been protesting for nearly three weeks against the draft hostel manual, which has provisions for hostel fee hike, dress code and curfew timings. According to the police, around ten companies have been deployed outside JNU. One company comprises 70 to 80 personnel.

Initially, the barricades outside JNU's gates were removed and the students were allowed to march. The police later stopped the march around 500 metres from the varsity's gates. Former JNU Students' Union president N Sai Balaji said, "Delhi Police stops JNU students peaceful march to parliamentarians! The Mhrd is fooling students by forming committee. Why didn't the committee suspend fee hike till dialogue is happening? We are demanding a rollback of the fee hike."

The protest march comes on the first day of the Parliament's Winter Session, which will end on December 13. Earlier, the HRD Ministry appointed a three-member committee to recommend ways to restore normal functioning of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

Meanwhile, Education Secretary R Subrahmanyam took to Twitter and said that, “MHRD has appointed a high power committee for discussion with students and administration for peaceful resolution of all issues.” The Jawaharlal Nehru Students' Union (JNUSU) on Sunday had appealed to students of other universities to join its march to Parliament on Monday. The students' union will be marching from the JNU towards Parliament on Monday, when the Winter Session will commence.