New Delhi: ABVP-led demonstration against the anti-student policies of the Kejriwal government has entered its second day. ABVP is demanding the revocation of the Delhi government’s decision to shut down the G.B. Pant Engineering College that offers affordable technical education to students. The institute has not been included in the counselling process for admission this year by Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, which is a state university, managed and controlled by the Delhi government.
ABVP had attempted to lead a protest march to the official residence of the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal yesterday but the protestors were stopped by the police at the barricades near Vikas Bhawan. The protesting students braved the cold and continued their sit-in demonstration near Vikas Bhavan throughout the night. The protestors were joined by several esteemed members from civil society as well as students from various varsities.
Since the Delhi government had failed to respond to the 24-hour ultimatum issued yesterday, 5 protesting students have commenced an indefinite hunger strike from 1:30 p.m. today. The Delhi government did not even take cognizance of students’ grievances which the protestors were attempting to highlight by way of Twitter trends as well as other social media platforms.
The protestors have resolved to keep fighting until the Delhi government includes the institute in the counselling process for admission this year as well as satisfactorily addresses a host of other student-centric issues including fee-hikes in state government-run colleges and universities like IP, DTU and NSUT, appropriation of money from the Students Society Fund towards payment of salaries and Covid relief package for the needy students.
Sidharth Yadav, State Secretary, ABVP Delhi, said, “While the students have taken to the streets to save affordable education, the Chief Minister continues to remain safely ensconced in his palatial bungalow. The Delhi government has perpetrated an unprecedented assault on affordable higher education in the national capital. We are willing to brave the cold, go hungry and risk getting infected but we shall continue to oppose and fight against the Delhi government’s anti-student design to shut down the G.B. Pant Engineering College.”
