Carrying flaming torches and shouting slogans, students at the Allahabad University took out a massive protest on Thursday against the recent fee hike, as well as demanding the reinstatement of the students' union.
A group of students under the banner of 'Chhatrasangh Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti' have been protesting the fee hike in Allahabad University. The university has increased the under-graduate fees by almost 400 per cent, they say.
Eight days ago, some of the students launched a hunger strike. Yesterday, two of the students, Manjit Patel and Rahul Saroj, were admitted to the hospital after their health worsened.
Firm on their demand of a rollback of the increased fees, the students marched through the campus and eventually assembled in front of a statue of Independence movement icon Chandrashekhar Azad. The students took a pledge at the freedom fighter's statue that the agitation would continue until their demands were met.
The protest against the fee hike movement won the support of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra earlier this week.
Supporting the students, Ms Vadra tweeted on Monday, "The 400 per cent fee hike by the Allahabad University is another anti-youth move by the BJP government."
She added that children from ordinary families from UP and Bihar study at the university and "by increasing the fees, the government will take away a major source of education from these youths".
Advertisement"The government should immediately withdraw the decision of increasing the fees after listening to the students," Ms Vadra wrote.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav too supported students. Calling student unions "primary part of democracy", Mr Yadav said the university's treatment of the protesting students "is a symbol of hopelessness from the BJP government".
