JNUSU members detained during protest march to education ministry

JNUSU members were detained after attempting a protest march to the ministry of education, highlighting ongoing tensions and demands for addressing institutional neglect in higher education

IMAGE: File image of a JNUSU protest. Photograph: Screen grab/X

Key Points

JNUSU members, including president Aditi Mishra and former president Nitish Kumar, were detained during a protest march.
The protest aimed to address alleged 'institutional neglect' in higher education and demand the enactment of the 'Rohith Vemula Act'.
Heavy security deployment prevented the students from taking the rally outside the JNU campus.
Tensions remain high at JNU following a previous protest that resulted in violence and an FIR against JNUSU office-bearers.
RJD MP Manoj Jha expressed concern over the security deployment and called for clarity and dialogue between authorities and the university community.

Several members of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) were detained after they tried to take out a protest rally towards the ministry of education on Thursday afternoon, sources told PTI.

They said JNUSU president Aditi Mishra, former JNUSU president Nitish Kumar and several other protesters have been detained.

However, there was no immediate confirmation from the Delhi police on the detentions.

The protesting students assembled at Sabarmati T Point on the campus on Thursday afternoon and began moving in groups carrying placards and banners. As they tried to take the rally outside the campus, they were stopped by the heavy security deployment at the strongly barricaded university gate.

The organisers said the march was aimed at addressing the alleged "institutional neglect" in higher education institutions.

Security personnel have been deployed inside and outside the university amid continuing tensions after a JNUSU protest turned violent on Monday. The protest had led to incidents of stone-pelting and physical altercation between the JNUSU and the ABVP.

Delhi Police has also registered an FIR against JNUSU office-bearers in connection with the incident.

The JNUSU has been protesting for stronger implementation of University Grants Commission regulations. They have also demanded enactment of the "Rohith Vemula Act", increased funding for public institutions, and resignation of the JNU Vice-Chancellor for her alleged caste remarks in a podcast on February 16.

The Rohith Vemula Act is a proposed legislation aimed at eliminating caste-based discrimination in higher education institutions.

Reacting to the developments in JNU, Rashtriya Janata Dal's Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha said on X that reports of a sudden security deployment in and around the university have understandably caused anxiety among students and faculty.

"I have said it earlier and repeat that universities are spaces of ideas, not uncertainty, and any such action without clear communication unsettles the academic environment. At this moment, the authorities owe the campus community clarity and dialogue. A confident democracy governs its universities through trust, not opacity. Jai Hind," Jha said.

According to visuals shared on social media, university gate could be seen strongly barricaded amid heavy security deployment, even as the protesters were trying to take the rally outside the campus.