Police stop JNU protest march to Parliament
Teachers and students injured in crackdown
Police try to disperse JNU students as they raise slogans at a protest over the issue of compulsory attendance and other issues, in New Delhi on Friday. PTI Photo
Several agitating students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) were injured in a police crackdown here on Friday.
Thousands of JNU students, joined by teachers, were taking out "a long march to Parliament" demanding "gender justice, social justice, academic freedom and affordable justice", when Delhi Police stopped them at a location in South Delhi, about 7 kilometres from Parliament.
The police also used water cannons at the protesters and resorted to lathi-charge as the students tried to force their way to Parliament through two layers of barricades.
The police detained as many as 20 students, including eight women, saying that they had not obtained prior permission to take out the protest march. The students claimed that they were "brutally beaten up" by the cops.
Before applying force to disperse the protesters, the police had repeatedly asked the students and teachers to conclude their march and go back.
The police crackdown on students was condemned by various sections of the teaching community and political parties.
Some journalists at the spot of the protest march also faced police wrath as they tried to capture the crackdown in cameras, eyewitnesses said.
In solidarity
CPM leader Brinda Karat later reached the spot in solidarity with the JNU students and teachers. Congress leader Sushmita Dev also addressed the agitating students and teachers.
The JNU campus has been on the boil since police booked six research scholars, including the then president of JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) Kanhaiya Kumar, on charges of sedition on a complaint lodged by BJP leader Maheish Girri.