ABVP meets Union Minister Jitendra Singh, JNU VC; demands apology over 'assault' of students

New Delhi, Aug 23 (PTI) An ABVP delegation met Union Minister Jitendra Singh and JNU Vice Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit on Tuesday and submitted a memorandum seeking an apology from the university administration over the "assault" of students a day ago.

They also demanded the suspension of Rector Ajay Dubey and the release of pending students' fellowships.

A scuffle broke out in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) here on Monday between a group of students and members of security staff, after the former gathered at the finance office demanding the release of fellowships.

The students, who were members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), accused the administration of carrying out an attack on them while the administration held students responsible for the incident.

The Delhi Police on Tuesday registered two FIRs in connection with the scuffle, officials said.

"ABVP met minister Jitendra Singh and JNU VC and submitted a memorandum regarding JNU administration's brutal assault on students on Monday," the RSS-affiliated student organisation said in a statement.

It added, "Students have alleged they were protesting peacefully for their fellowships at the administration block but the administration ordered JNU security to attack them." Union Minister Singh was at the university to attend an event on the Significance of Technology in Empowering Tribal Community of India.

"For the last 12 days, we have been doing a satyagraha and fighting for the rights of the students but the administration did not respond at all.

"Yesterday, when the students were demanding their fellowships peacefully at the admin block, JNU security was ordered to beat students with lathis and they brutally attacked the students," ABVP JNU chief Rohit Kumar alleged.

The memorandum also listed the seven demands of the students, including the JNU administration taking responsibility for the attack.

"JNU administration should take responsibility for the attack on students and immediately suspend all the officers and workers responsible. JNU administration should give a written apology to students. Rector Ajay Dubey should be immediately suspended," the memorandum read.

"Those students who have not yet received the MCM/Non-net and other fellowships should be released immediately. JNU security officer Surya Prakash, Naveen Yadav and cyclops security should be suspended from JNU with immediate effect," it added.

The ABVP also asked the JNU administration to start the renovation of hostels, release PhD notification and hostel list, and clarify registration for the next semester.