Fellowship row: Protesting students lathi-charged

Delhi Police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse protesting students who were trying to move towards the head office of the University Grants Commission (UGC) at ITO on Tuesday evening. The police have also detained students who have been protesting here since last week against UGC’s decision to discontinue non-NET fellowship.

“Police have mercilessly beaten up the protesting students and detained some of them as well. They were taken to Kamla Nagar police station,” said Balaji, one of the student groups’ councillors from JNU. 

In an unprovoked attack, policemen also misbehaved with women protesters, he added. “We will now intensify our protests even more and would expose this brutal and insensitive Modi government,” he added. Majority of the protesters were associated with AISA, SFI, and DSF. According to the students, when they tried to move towards the UGC office at around 6 pm, the police started beating them with sticks. The cops have already put heavy barricades in front of the UGC office to prevent protesting students from entry. “We gathered here today demanding UGC to clarify its stand on the situation as a lot of confusion has been created due to statements issued by Union Minister for Human Resource Development Smriti Irani,” said Nitesh Singh, a student. The minister, in a recent statement, had announced to continue non-NET scholarship but with a rider. It was announced that a committee would be formed to provide grants based on merit. Student groups associated with the Left have been demanding complete revocation of this order and enhancement of grants and have also urged incorporation of the state universities into the fray.