Congress blames JNU administration amid students protest over fee hike

Even as Delhi Police filed an FIR on Sunday against the JNU students for defacing the university campus, Congress has blamed the JNU administration. Congress leader Tariq Anwar while speaking to news agency ANI said that administration is responsible for the situation in JNU. He went on to allege that administration harrases students.

"Administration can take any decision. If they want to file FIR, they can. But the reality is that JNU administration is itselfd responsible for the situation. If the administration hadn't harassed students, then picture would have been different. Sometimes in anger, kids do make mistakes but one must think why they have come to this situation. They are harassing children's unwantedly. They just want to defame JNU so that they can shut this university," Tariq Anwar said.

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FIR lodged on Sunday

Delhi Police on Sunday has lodged an FIR, in the 'defacement of public property' at Jawaharlal Nehru University. The police have named ten students in the FIR under section 3 of Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property Act. Ealier, JNU administration had filed two complaints against students who had defaced the campus.

Controversy over alleged vandalism 

Earlier on Thursday, objectionable and abusive remarks were written around a soon-to-be-unveiled statue of Swami Vivekananda on JNU campus amid student protests. Soon after the incident, JNU released an official statement condemning the act and assured that strict action will be taken against those involved. While the student union has maintained that they were not involved in the incident and had reportedly washed off the written remarks after it came to light, the Delhi police has lodged an FIR on Sunday. Earlier, JNU administration also had filed two complaints against those who had defaced the VC's building during protests.

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Fee hike and protest

The Jawaharlal Nehru Students' Union (JNUSU) will take out a march to Parliament on Monday to protest against the hostel fee hike. The JNUSU said it would be a march to save public education and appeal to MPs to take up the cause. Students are protesting inside the administration block of the university against the increase in hostel fee, even though JNU announced a rollback in the hike on Wednesday evening. The students have dubbed the partial rollback as an "eyewash". 

On Wednesday, JNU administration announced a rollback the hostel fees after massive and continuous protest by the students. Announcing the rollback on Twitter, the Education Secretary R Subrahmanyam said that the JNU executive committee has rolled back the fees that was hiked. The Secretary also added that it is time to go back to classes as the JNU executive committee has proposed a scheme for economic assistance to EWS students. 

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This comes after the students on Wednesday held a protest outside the UGC and submitted a memorandum of their demands to the EC members. The students led a massive protest since Monday morning at the convocation venue against the "anti-student" policies of the varsity's administration. While the administration barricaded the area outside the auditorium, clashes were reported between the forces deployed for security and JNUSU students.

Why are the students protesting?

The students' union has been on a strike against the Draft Hostel Manual which was approved by the Inter-Hall Administration. They claim that the manual has provisions for fee hike, curfew timings and dress code restrictions for students. They have said they will not end the strike till the Hostel Manual is withdrawn. It is said that after the fee hike is implemented, JNU will be most expensive Central University. 

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