JNU students protest expulsion

A day after Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) authorities rusticated five students, including three office-bearers of JNU Students' Union (JNUSU), students held a hunger strike to protest the move.

“The vice-chancellor does not allow negotiations, but we will not sit and watch. We have conviction in what we believe in. We will expose the vice-chancellor in front of the world. We will reclaim JNU, and tell the vice-chancellor JNU is ours,” said rusticated JNUSU president Sandeep Singh in a speech in front of the administration block.

JNUSU vice-president Shephalika Shekhar, also amongst those rusticated, supported Singh.

“The authorities have unrightfully thrown us out without notice. But we will do whatever we can to reverse the rise in the cost of the prospectus,” she said.

“The vice-chancellor has said that students coming from families below the poverty line (BPL) will get the prospectus free of cost. But who will pay for the expensive bank drafts to apply for courses in the prospectus?” asked Singh.

“The country hasn’t been able to solve BPL logistics. How will JNU?” asked Roshan Kishore, a rusticated student.

JNUSU joint secretary Mobeen Alam and Renu Singh are the two other students rusticated.