Ambulance stuck for minutes inside JNU premises amid protests

An ambulance was reportedly stuck for more than five minutes inside the campus of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) as the gates of the university were locked due to the ongoing protests at the campus. According to reports, a couple of protesters objected to the locked gates and even tried to break the gates with rods and sticks, following which the ambulance was allowed to go ahead by the college authorities. 

Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal stuck in protests

On Monday, the Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal was stuck inside the AICTE auditorium for almost six hours when protests escalated outside. The minister along with Vice President Venkaiah Naidu was present at the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) to attend the Jawaharlal Nehru University's third convocation. According to reports, the minister left the AICTE premises around 4.15 pm and had to cancel two events scheduled at the Shastri Bhawan after the convocation. 

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Varsity shifts council meet venue outside the campus

The protesting students also demanded a meeting with the vice-chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar to discuss the matter even as an Executive Council (EC) meeting was scheduled. The administrators later decided to shift the venue outside the campus due to the protests. The Executive Council (EC) is the highest decision-making body of the Jawaharlal Nehru University.

READ | JNUSU to hold protest outside university campus during EC meeting on Wednesday

Why the outrage?

The students at JNU have been protesting since last week against the Vice-Chancellor of the University in the lieu of fee hike and a new hostel manual. The protests later turned violent after clashes broke out between the students and the police. The students alleged the police attacked the students. They raised slogans against the university administration. According to sources, the students have been demanding the withdrawal of the draft hostel manual, in which service charges of ₹ 1,700 were introduced and the one-time mess security fee, which is refundable, has been hiked from ₹ 5,500 to ₹ 12,000. There has also been a hike in rents for single and double sharing room. The rent for a single-seater room has been increased from ₹ 20 per month to ₹ 600 per month, while the rent for a double-seater room has been increased from ₹ 10 to ₹ 300 per month. 

(With ANI inputs)

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