Several JNU students detained after clashes with police during protest

Several students of Jawaharlal Nehru University were on Thursday detained after they tried to march to the Union Ministry of Education, demanding that Vice Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit resign for her allegedly casteist remarks, The Hindu reported.

More than 50 students had been detained, according to reports. This included two JNU Students Association office bearers and a former union president.

Several JNU students have sought Pandit’s resignation for saying in an interview to The Sunday Guardian that progress for Dalits was not possible “by being permanently a victim of playing the victim card”.

On Thursday, the protesters also questioned the rustication of five JNU students’ union office-bearers earlier this month for allegedly damaging surveillance equipment at the Ambedkar Library, The Indian Express reported.

The demonstrators also demanded a Rohith Act to prevent caste-based discrimination on campuses.

The clashes took place between the protesting students and the police during the march.

While the police alleged that they were assaulted by the demonstrators, the students accused the authorities of using excessive force against them, PTI reported.

The police filed a first information report under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita pertaining to voluntarily obstructing a public servant, voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from performing their duty and assault or use of criminal force to prevent a public servant from carrying out official work.

The students also alleged that several of them...

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