JNU Students March to Rashtrapati Bhavan after 'Unsatisfactory' Meet with Govt, Detained by Police

New Delhi: Students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Thursday tried to march towards the Rashtrapati Bhavan protesting the violence on campus earlier this week, but were stopped by police.

The protesting students, who have been demanding the removal of JNU Vice-Chancellor Jagadesh Kumar, were detained as well. A scuffle broke out as the police attempted to remove a few of the women protestors. According to reports, the police then resorted to beating the protestors with batons.

Four protestors were injured as they were roughed by the cops who put them in buses and autorickshaws. Lawyers of detainees said that four protestors had joined the demonstration in solidarity with the JNU students.

The police said that the JNU student leaders “provoked” the protestors to move towards Rashtrapati Bhavani which escalated tensions.

The students, detained at the Mandir Marg and Bawana police stations, were later released. They are being dropped to JNU in buses, added police sources. Meanwhile, several students including JNSU vice-president Saket Moon, gathered outside Rajiv Chowk Metro Station's gate number 7 and raised slogans against the Delhi Police.

The students took out the march on JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) President Aishe Ghosh's call following an "unsatisfactory" meeting between a delegation of students and teachers unions, and the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD).

The government has so far refused to sack Kumar as secretary, said ministry secretary Amit Khare. "The JNU V-C's removal is not a solution. The ministry's focus is on academic issues, not on political matters," he said.

Khare said ministry's officials will meet the JNU Students' Union after a meeting with Kumar on Friday.

"We are in no position to compromise with the HRD ministry. It's still thinking whether the V-C should be removed," said JNUSU President Aishe Ghosh following the meeting on Thursday.

Government sources said Khare "personally met JNU students and heard them extensively". "He also assured them of discussing their issues with the JNU administration and meeting them again," they added.

"Even after such top level reach-out, if the protesters want to meet the President, is it not apparent they don't want a solution but only want to play politics?" the sources said.

Students and teachers have been demanding Kumar's resignation and have alleged he was complicit in the attack on Sunday. A mob of masked men and women had stormed the campus in south Delhi. They systematically targeted students in three hostels, unleashed mayhem with sticks, stones and iron rods, hit inmates and broke windows, furniture and personal belongings. They also attacked a women's hostel.

The JNU Teachers' Association (JNUTA) earlier wrote to President Ram Nath Kovind holding Kumar responsible for the "orgy of violence".

"The JNU with full sense of responsibility accuses the JNU administration headed by the Vice-Chancellor of being responsible for the orgy of violence in JNU," the letter said.

According to a report in 'The Times of India', ministry officials in a meeting with Kumar on Wednesday had only "advised" him to "communicate more with the students".

The Congress have held Home Minister Amit Shah and HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal responsible for the violence which it termed "officially sponsored goondaism".

(With PTI inputs)