Delhi police fires water cannons, lathicharge at Jawaharlal Nehru University students

NEW DELHI: Delhi police resorted to lathicharge and water cannons to keep back scores of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students and JNU’s Teachers’ Association participating in a long march to the parliament.

The long march which began at 2 pm from JNU North Gate was carried out to "ensure that the continuing injustices in JNU and across universities are put to a halt".

The participants of the march were lathi-charged mid-way, near INA market. According to sources, JNUSU president Geeta Kumari and vice-president Simone Zoya were among who got injured in the lathicharge.

“Numerous students have been lathi-charged by the Delhi police, and many of them are severely injured. Students were peacefully marching to the sansad,” asserted a JNU student.

Unarmed students hit with water canon and then lathicharged. 8 women students brutally beaten up and detained! This is the might of @DelhiPolice! Can only attack students marching peacefully through the city! Shame!#StudentsLongMarch pic.twitter.com/ycjbAME2i4

— Preeti Gulati (@preetigulati28) March 23, 2018

"Brutal lathi charge again on peacefully protesting students. This is what you get for demanding your right to education. Same Delhi Police which doesn't act against Atul Johri, can't find Najeeb attacks students demanding education. Modi Sarkar, shame! #StudentsLongMarch," tweeted Umar Khalid.

On the martydom day of Bhagat Singh, this is how our govt treats students who follow in his footsteps and demand their rights. We are not afraid of your lathis, we want our right to education. Modi-Javadekar-Jagadesh Kumar, stop destroying our universities #StudentsLongMarch pic.twitter.com/gQtdKZD3vs

— Umar Khalid (@UmarKhalidJNU) March 23, 2018