Sit-in protest continues at RGUKT

CPI national secretary Narayana detained

For the third consecutive day, scores of students continued with their sit-in protest on the campus of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies (RGUKT) at Basar in Nirmal district on Thursday refusing to budge until all their demands, including appointment of a full-fledged Vice-Chancellor for the university, and urgent measures to address a plethora of issues such as lack of proper amenities, shortage of faculty and conducive academic atmosphere are met.

The university campus was rocked by a massive sit-in protest by the agitated students for the third day in a row as the talks between the district authorities and the representatives of the students governing council failed to bear fruit late on Wednesday evening. 

The agitated students squatted inside the campus near the main entrance on Thursday even as a large posse of police restricted the movement of outsiders into the campus at the main gate.

Amid sloganeering, the protesters displayed empty water bottles in a symbolic protest against what they alleged attempts to “block” water supply by the university authorities to foil their peaceful protest in support of their demands. However, sources in the university denied the allegations of blocking water supply. 

CPI national secretary K Narayana was taken into preventive custody by the police when he arrived at the entrance of the RGUKT to express his solidarity with the students’ agitation. He was shifted to a nearby police station, sources said.

We have launched the sit-in protest to press for our genuine demands such as provision of requisite amenities, laptops, uniforms and hygienic food, said a student of the six-year integrated course, who did not wish to be identified.

“It is deplorable that the persons at the helm are attributing evil motives to our peaceful apolitical agitation, which is aimed at drawing the attention of the State government to the sorry state of affairs in RGUKT,” he rued.