An indefinite sit-in by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) at Jawaharlal Nehru University has dragged on for more than 80 hours, with the group saying the administration has offered nothing concrete in response to its demands. ABVP says over 250 students have now joined the protest.
ABVP has also pointed to earlier run-ins between students and doctors at the centre, which likewise could not be confirmed. The dispute began when ABVP members went to the university’s Health Centre to look into complaints about missing medical equipment, a shortage of specialist doctors and the way patients were being treated. The group alleges that security personnel manhandled its members when they asked questions, and that the exchange turned physical. It names three activists, Vikas Patel, Abhay and Animesh, as having been injured. These claims come from the protesters and have not been independently verified. ABVP’s list of demands covers both the scuffle and the centre’s wider functioning: The organisation has specifically called for the resignation of Chief Medical Officer Dr Fauzia and a staff member named Ashish. JNU’s website lists specialist consultations, laboratory tests, a pharmacy and referral services among the Health Centre’s offerings. The university has not been quoted in the material provided here.
ABVP’s JNU president, Mayank Panchal, said the centre exists to serve students and questioned how activists raising concerns there were treated. Secretary Praveen Kumar Piyush described access to healthcare as a basic student need and said the group wants better equipment, specialist availability and improved patient care. ABVP says it will stay put until it sees concrete action.
