The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has condemned the use of water cannon by police against JNU students who were protesting against recently announced hike in hostel fee.
Thousands of JNU students had protested against the hike outside the AICTE auditorium on Monday.
“This hike will ensure that JNU will become an elitist university as against its current character that promotes students from diverse backgrounds to afford higher education,” the CPI(M) said in a statement here.
“JNU has produced generations of socially conscious citizens and nation builders due to this character of providing affordable education, drawing in students from backward regions and marginalised sections. This blossoming of talent at affordable cost is what is being attacked,” the Polit Bureau said. The CPI (M) blamed JNU Vice-Chancellor Jagdeesh Kumar for his “obduracy” for this situation.
JNU students are not agitating for the sake of agitation, Communist Party of India (CPI) General Secretary D. Raja said.
“It is a very genuine issue. The way the JNU authorities have dealt with the students is atrocious. They should have first called them for a conversation. JNU is being targeted and attacked by forces known to every one,” Mr. Raja added.
