FTII row: Students’ protest enters day 12

The ongoing strike of the students of FTII to protest the government's appointment of TV actor Gajendra Chauhan as chairman of its governing council entered its 12th day on Tuesday with no immediate solution in sight.

"We have written to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry seeking an appointment to discuss the issues in response to its communication expressing willingness for a dialogue with the students. However, we are still awaiting a confirmation of the appointment," FTII Students' Association (FSA) president Harishankar Nachimuthu told a news agency on Tuesday.

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry had last week offered to discuss "all relevant issues" after the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) students stuck to their demand for revoking the appointment of Chauhan.

The FSA has alleged that Chauhan, known for his role of Yudhishthira in television serial 'Mahabharat', lacked the "credentials and vision" to head an institution such as FTII, which is supposed to give direction to the Indian cinema.