'We Are Standing Behind You': Mallikarjun Kharge Speaks To Protesting Students Of Haryana Agricultural University, Promises To Raise Their Issue In Parliament

Chandigarh: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday extended support to the students of Haryana Agricultural University (HAU) in Hisar who are protesting against the alleged assault on them by security guards during a dharna to demand revocation of changes in scholarship rules.

Kharge, who spoke to the students of one of country's premier agricultural universities via video call, agreed to their request to raise the issue in the monsoon session of Parliament. He asked the students to continue their protest peacefully, assuring them, "We are standing behind you." The students had alleged that nearly 20 protesters were injured when university authorities cracked down on their "peaceful" protest against changes to the scholarship rules on June 10.

At that time, the university administration had claimed that some students tried to enter the vice chancellor's office while raising slogans and also manhandled the guards. Later, some security personnel and an assistant professor were suspended in the wake of the incident.

Later, on the complaint of an injured student, an FIR was also registered in the matter.

Opposition parties including the Congress, JJP and INLD have extended support to the protesting students, who are now also demanding ouster of the varsity's vice chancellor.

The students are holding an indefinite dharna in front of gate number 4 of the university in support of their demands.

Tweet Of Congress General Secretary

On Tuesday, Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala posted on X a video of Kharge's interaction with protesting HAU students.

"Today, Congress National President, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge Ji spoke on a video call to the students of Chaudhary Charan Singh Agricultural University, Hisar, who were sitting on a peaceful protest and expressed concern over the discontinuation of scholarship, reduction of LDV seats and lathi-charge and hooliganism on students by the BJP government," Surjewala wrote on X in Hindi.

He said Kharge had invited the students to come to Delhi and explain in detail so that it could be raised in the Parliament as well.

In the video, Kharge, while speaking to a student, enquired whether the university has "stopped scholarship altogether or have they changed criteria".

The student replied, "Criteria have been changed and scholarship has been reduced to half. When students were raising their demand (recently), lathis were rained on them..." The student alleged that university authorities had lathi-charged the protesters.

"Can this be done without the vice chancellor's order," Kharge asked.

"You hold peaceful satyagraha, we are standing behind you. Surjewala has also spoken to me about this (students' protest). Whatever is possible at our level, we will do," Kharge assured the protesting students.

The students told Kharge that they wanted their demand to be raised in the Parliament.

"When the session is held, we will definitely raise. You bring all the points to us about how it started. How many students used to get scholarships earlier and what criteria have been changed," said Kharge.

Kharge was told that students are also demanding the removal of the vice chancellor.

About The Protest

The students of HAU, Hisar, have been protesting against changes in merit scholarship eligibility rules for postgraduate students.

The students claimed that earlier those securing 70 per cent or more marks (Overall Grade Point Average 7.0) were given a stipend, which has now been limited to only the top 25 per cent of students, regardless of OGPA.

Meanwhile, JJP leader Digvijay Singh Chautala met Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya along with some HAU students and handed over a memorandum.

According to a party release, Digvijay Chautala said that FIR alone is not enough in the matter of lathicharge on students, the HAU VC should be removed and concrete action should be taken against all those involved.

Later, while speaking to reporters, he said the students' demands including increasing the scholarship should also be fulfilled.

Digvijay Chautala said that "such a serious matter cannot be suppressed by filing an FIR against a few people because on the directions of the VC of HAU, many security personnel cane charged the youth".

Meanwhile, former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, in a statement, said, "It is intolerable the way lathis were rained on the students of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, who were peacefully protesting for their demands".

The Congress leader said along with the university security who rained lathis, the vice chancellor should also be held accountable in this matter.

Hooda said the Congress fully supports the demands of the students who are peacefully protesting against the scholarship cut.

"It is the right of the students to raise their voice for their demands. A deadly attack on them is a completely criminal act," he said.

Hooda said the students have shown complete peace and discipline till now.

"This fight for justice should also be carried forward with peace and discipline. All the youth and the Congress stand with the students. The Congress will raise the voice of students on every platform from Vidhan Sabha to Parliament. The MLAs and MPs of the party have reached out to the students and announced their support," he added.

(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)