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Delhi

160 protestors detained while marching, released later

New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students continued their protest as they staged a sit-in outside the administration building demanding to meet the Vice Chancellor regarding the hostel fee hike. Various organisations have also come out in solidarity to support the students' cause.

Several students of RSS student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the DUSU, called for a march towards the HRD Ministry on Thursday against the massive fee hike in JNU. They were however, detained after a scuffle between protesters and security personnel near the Parliament Street police station.

Delhi Police had imposed prohibitory orders in the area. Barricades were also put up. However, some protesters, climbed over the barricades and scuffled with the security personnel. Delhi Police has said about 160 people were detained. They were later released.

The protesters raised slogans against the JNU administration and the HRD Ministry who, according to students, had unilaterally imposed fee hike on the students.

Meanwhile, a joint protest was organised by People's Forum in Dehradun on Thursday, which was also joined by Jammu Kashmir students association (JKSA), against the rise in JNU's fee hike. Speaking on the issue, spokesperson of the association, Nasir Khuehami said, "The government is adding to the miseries of the students, by their massive fee-hike rollout in JNU, which is completely unacceptable."

Standing in solidarity with JNU students, Khuehami stated that education is a basic right and should be provided to everyone at the lowest cost possible.

Meanwhile, HRD Ministry's three member committee will hold a meeting inside the campus on Friday. This will be the second meeting that the committee will hold. Students in JNU have been protesting against the fee hike and new hostel manual.

According to the new hostel manual, the fee for double room rent has been hiked from Rs 10 to Rs 300, while rent for student single room hiked from Rs 20 to Rs 600. However, the one-time refundable mess security deposit was rolled back to Rs 5,500 instead of Rs 12,000. Utility charges like water and electricity bill will be charged "as per actual", while service charges (Rs 1700 per month) have been added to the list.

The demands of JNU Students' Union include to arrive at a new manual through an "acceptable deliberative process". "The current manual disregards affirmative action and does not guarantee reservations to SC, ST and PwD students in hostel seats which we cannopt accept," said a statement from JNUSU.

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