Tension erupted at Delhi University’s Campus Law Centre on Monday as law students protested the examination schedule and fought police. The students said that the police used lathi charges and tear gas against peaceful protesters on campus, and that the Dean had called in the policemen. However, the police denied the charges.
The students began their demonstration on Monday morning, demanding an extension of exam dates and a meeting with the Dean. However, the officials allegedly declined to meet with the student leaders, instead seeking police intervention in the protest.
“We had been protesting quietly for over eight hours, but instead of addressing our concerns, the school system resorted to police action,” a pupil told PTI, a national news organization.
Images from the campus showed a substantial police presence, with some officers holding batons amid a large gathering of students. The Dean of the Faculty of Law, Anju Vali Tikoo, has not responded to the charges.
A police officer reported that local police were dispatched because some students had encircled the Dean’s office, preventing her from leaving. Some of the students met with the Dean, and the matter is now under control,” the officer stated.