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  Teachers join JNU students on hungerstrike

Teachers join JNU students on hungerstrike

PTI
Published : May 4, 2016, 2:48 am IST
Updated : May 4, 2016, 2:48 am IST

Scores of JNU teachers on Tuesday observed a one-day hungerstrike in solidarity with the ongoing strike by students in protest against the punishments given by varsity in connection with the controver

Scores of JNU teachers on Tuesday observed a one-day hungerstrike in solidarity with the ongoing strike by students in protest against the punishments given by varsity in connection with the controversial February 9 event.

Meanwhile, members of ABVP claimed that fasting Saurabh Kumar Sharma, who was complainant of the Afzal Guru event, was rushed to AIIMS and admitted to the ICU after his glucose level dipped. BJP MP’s Tarun Vijay and Manoj Tiwari visited him in the hospital and advised him to break the fast keeping in view the health conditions.

On the 6th day of the strike, the protesting teachers also condemned the ban on sales and distribution of a book by DU authored by noted historian Bipan Chandra as it referred to Bhagat Singh as a revolutionary terrorist.

“70 teachers and 180 students today sat on relay hungerstrike in support of the on going hunger strike against the decision of high-level committee of JNU. 20 prisoners in Ara Jail have also started a two-day hungerstrike in jail premises demanding revocation of punishment of JNU students,” a statement by the JNU Students Union claimed.

“The struggle is on and will go on till all rustication, out of bond, fines and hostel debar orders are scrapped,” it added. Two groups of students are sitting on indefinite hungerstrike since last Thursday in protest against the punishment announced by the university against various students in connection with the controversial event on campus during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised. JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, were arrested in a sedition case in connection with the event. They are out on bail now.

While Kanhaiya has been slapped with a penalty of Rs 10,000 on grounds of “indiscipline and misconduct”, Umar, Anirban and Kashmiri student Mujeeb Gatoo have been rusticated for varying durations.

Financial penalty has been imposed on 14 students. Hostel facilities of two students have been withdrawn and the university has declared the campus out of bounds for two former students.

Location: India, Delhi, New Delhi