JNU Protests: Police lathi charge visually impaired students

New Delhi: The student protests at New Delhi's JNU have gotten worse with police beating up visually impaired students in latest.

The students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) shouted slogans outside the new Delhi Police headquarters on Wednesday. The demand put forth by the students was for

an apology from the commissioner against the alleged lathicharge on blind students who were protesting against the recent fee hike in the university.

The police's alleged move fuelled the already intense protests at the university. The students have vehemently opposed the university's move to hike the hostel fees. For some students, the hike was 300%

Students with disabilities expressed anger on the police in their latest move. A student was seen talking to the media saying that most of the students who study at JNU are from marginalised families with low incomes. Many have the opportunity to study only because of the subsidised fees of the university. If the fee is hiked, then there would be no opportunity for students from lower income families to get an education. The students further added that education must be inclusive and available for everyone irrespective of their financial background.

A delegation of students went inside the police headquarters to submit a list of demands and reason with the police. The demands included an unconditional apology from the police for allegedly beating up protesting blind students. The students further added that police asked the blind students as to why they were protesting. They retorted saying conducting and participating in protests is a democratic right of all Indian citizens.

The students focussed on the fact that their protests were solely against the fee hike, and that the police.lathicharge especially on students with disabilities was uncalled for.