The protesting students of IIT- Benaras Hindu University.
Not just IIT Bombay, other IITs have also begun protesting in favour of Kanhaiya Kumar of Jawaharlal Nehru University. Students of IIT BHU carried out a protest march on February 18, 2016.
Unfortunately, they were detained by the police and released 4 hours later.
Nearly 200 students joined the protest march “We gathered at 12 noon for a peaceful march in support of Kanhaiya Kumar. What happened with him was unfair and we wanted to show our support,” said Shantanu Singh, a second-year student at IIT BHU who was part of the protest.
IIT BHU faculty did not join the students. In fact, protesting students did not even secure permission from the institute’s administration for it. When asked why, they told PaGaLGuY that they didn’t think it was necessary.
However, the peaceful march remained peaceful only for a short while. According to students, volunteers of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) turned up at the venue and embarked on their own protests. “They started chanting slogans like “Desh Drohi wapas jao” which was meant for us,” a student informed.
Thanks to all the ruckus, the police from the nearby Lanka Police station were on the scene in no time and some 100 students detained. Police officials told PaGaLGuY that the detainment was necessary since the students had not secured permission for the protest. “They were let go after they signed a bond of Rs 50,000,” a police official said.
Students however, deny the bond bit. “We did not sign any bond. The police are lying,” said another student.