JNU protest: Section 144 imposed ahead of students' march to Parliament

Heavy police deployment was made outside the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)’s campus in New Delhi on November 18. This comes in the wake of a protest march to Parliament by the JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) against hostel fee hike.

According to reports, section 144 was imposed near the campus and Parliament complex where the student protesters were going to march towards.

The protest has been planned on the first day of Parliament's Winter Session.

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The university’s students have been protesting for nearly three weeks against the draft hostel manual, which has provisions for hostel fee hike, dress code and curfew timings. This, even as the JNU administration announced a partial rollback of the hike. The union had termed the decision an "eyewash".

Ten companies are deployed outside JNU, news agency PTI reported quoting police officials. One company comprises 70 to 80 personnel.

Police officials told PTI that adequate security arrangements have also been made along the route of the march and that personnel have been deployed at all entry points leading to Parliament.

Delhi: Police stops Jawaharlal Nehru University students at Ber Sarai road, not allowed to march ahead towards Parliament #JNU pic.twitter.com/Nf2VFnw2JH

— ANI (@ANI) November 18, 2019

HRD Ministry appoints committee

The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry, on November 18, appointed a three-member committee to recommend ways to restore normal functioning of JNU.

The committee will initiate dialogues with students and administration as well as submit recommendations on resolution of all issues.

The JNU Teachers' Association (JNUTA) expressed concern over the deployment of police outside the varsity.

"The massive police deployment and barricading at the gates of the JNU campus, which on the face of it appears to be only for the purpose of preventing the students from taking out their planned march to Parliament," JNUTA said.

"Such measures or use of force to thwart the exercise of constitutionally guaranteed democratic rights and to impede the students from peacefully taking their voice beyond the campus would be extremely unfortunate and the JNUTA hopes that no such situation will eventually arise," the teachers' association said.

(With inputs from PTI)