MPs ask government to advise JNU to review punishment to students

NEW DELHI: Members in Rajya Sabha today sought government's intervention in resolving the protests by JNU students by advising the university authorities to reconsider its decision to severely penalise some of them.

After CPI member D Raja raised the issue during Zero Hour and was supported by several members including Sharad Yadav (JD-U), Deputy Chairman P J Kurien also said he thought the government should try to solve the issue and asked Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi to convey the feeling of the house to the concerned Ministers.

Seeking government's intervention, Raja said JNU students have been on indefinite fast for eight days and teachers have also joined the agitation.

"The situation is very serious. Condition of students is deteriorating. Last night JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar has been shifted to AIIMS. His health has gone down," he said.

The students are protesting against punishment given to some of them in connection with the event during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.

Raja said university has rusticated several students and imposed heavy penalties on a number of them. "Why are university authorities doing this," he asked.

"The Vice Chancellor and university authorities must have negotiation with the students union and sort out the problem. It (the situation) cannot go out of hand," the CPI leader said, adding he had asked the HRD Ministry to intervene and advise university authorities to reconsider their action against the students.

He further said the university was passing through "unprecedented crisis". "My humble submition to the government is that government should intervene without any delay. Government should advise university authorities to reconsider their decision," Raja said.

Sharad Yadav (JD-U) supported Raja and asked Naqvi to convey the feeling of the House to the HRD Minister. "The Minister may initiate steps to solve the crisis," he said.

Kahakashan Perween (JD-U) raised the issue of girls' education and cited incidents in two villages in Rewari district of Haryana where girls were being regularly harassed by boys while on their way to school.

Ram Kumar Kashyap (INLD) raised the issue of stubble burning along national highways and related problems.