Defiant JNU students who have been punished in connection with a controversial event on campus on Tuesday asserted that they will not pay the fine or vacate hostels as ordered by the university, but will go on an indefinite hunger strike from tomorrow demanding withdrawal of orders.
"It is a casteist inquiry committee. We don't believe the committee nor the penalties imposed, which is why we will burn the report," JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar, accompanied by Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya - who also are facing disciplinary action, said at a press conference on campus this afternoon.
The students took to social media to garner support.
"We have rejected the so called high-level enquiry committee right from the day it was set up as an undemocratic and biased one so there is no point accepting the punishment meted out to us on basis of its findings," Kumar added.
The university yesterday rusticated Umar for one semester, Kashmiri student Mujeeb Gattoo for two semesters and Anirban till July 15. As per decision, Bhattacharya has been barred from pursuing any course in JNU for next 5 years. Kanhaiya has been penalised with Rs 10,000.
Kanhaiya, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya were arrested on charges of sedition in February in connection with an event against the 2013 hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised. They are now out on bail.
V S Achuthanandan expressed solidarity with Kanhaiya calling him a comrade.
13 other students have been let off with varied fines. The campus has been made out of bounds for two former students -- Banojyotsana Lahiri and Draupadi -- while hostel facilities of Ashutosh Kumar and Komal Mohite have been withdrawn for a year and till July 21 respectively.
"We have decided that none of the students will pay the fine or vacate their hostels. We demand that the university administration withdraws these orders as we have maintained right from the beginning that we do not have faith in this enquiry panel and it should be reconstituted," JNUSU Vice President Shehla Rashid Shora said.
"We will begin an indefinite hunger strike from tomorrow after staging a protest march from varsity's Ganga dhaba to administration block. The decision has been well-timed by the university officials to avoid any protests as summer break is about to begin but we will not bow down and continue our fight," she added.
(With PTI Inputs)
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"It is a casteist inquiry committee. We don't believe the committee nor the penalties imposed, which is why we will burn the report," JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar, accompanied by Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya - who also are facing disciplinary action, said at a press conference on campus this afternoon.
The students took to social media to garner support.
"We have rejected the so called high-level enquiry committee right from the day it was set up as an undemocratic and biased one so there is no point accepting the punishment meted out to us on basis of its findings," Kumar added.
#JNU #HLEC #StandWithJnu pic.twitter.com/nvsfl24T9a
— Kanhaiya Kumar (@kanhaiyajnusu) April 25, 2016
The university yesterday rusticated Umar for one semester, Kashmiri student Mujeeb Gattoo for two semesters and Anirban till July 15. As per decision, Bhattacharya has been barred from pursuing any course in JNU for next 5 years. Kanhaiya has been penalised with Rs 10,000.
Today at #Azadi Chowk @4pm. we will burn fake #HLEC report and will fight back against the anti social justice admin of #JNU #NoMoreRohith
— Kanhaiya Kumar (@kanhaiyajnusu) April 26, 2016
Kanhaiya, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya were arrested on charges of sedition in February in connection with an event against the 2013 hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised. They are now out on bail.
V S Achuthanandan expressed solidarity with Kanhaiya calling him a comrade.
Expressing solidarity with Com.#Kanhaiya Kumar:Actions against #JNU students to be condemned
— VS Achuthanandan (@vs1923) April 26, 2016
13 other students have been let off with varied fines. The campus has been made out of bounds for two former students -- Banojyotsana Lahiri and Draupadi -- while hostel facilities of Ashutosh Kumar and Komal Mohite have been withdrawn for a year and till July 21 respectively.
"We have decided that none of the students will pay the fine or vacate their hostels. We demand that the university administration withdraws these orders as we have maintained right from the beginning that we do not have faith in this enquiry panel and it should be reconstituted," JNUSU Vice President Shehla Rashid Shora said.
"We will begin an indefinite hunger strike from tomorrow after staging a protest march from varsity's Ganga dhaba to administration block. The decision has been well-timed by the university officials to avoid any protests as summer break is about to begin but we will not bow down and continue our fight," she added.
(With PTI Inputs)
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