Protesting HAU students end protest after 21 days as govt accepts most of their demands

Protesting Haryana Agricultural University students on Tuesday ended their three-week-long protest after the state government agreed to most of their demands in connection with the alleged June 10 assault.

Nalwa MLA Randhir Panihar made a formal announcement in this regard.

''The students have lifted the dharna (protest) outside Gate Number 4,'' Panihar told reporters late at night after holding a meeting with the protesting students. A student representative said demands such as the suspension and transfer of a few other university officials in the wake of the June 10 incident have been accepted.

Regarding the demand for the removal of Vice Chancellor B R Kamboj, the students have been told that a committee will be set up soon to probe into the incident, the representative added.

The students, who had been protesting against the alleged assault on some postgraduate students on June 10, reportedly reached an agreement with the government on June 25 only after the state administration agreed to seven of their eight demands. On VC's removal, the government had agreed to negotiate the demand.

The students had been demanding Kamboj's ouster, alleging that he ordered a lathicharge on June 10 against students who were demanding the rollback of revised scholarship eligibility norms for postgraduate students. However, on June 26, the protesters reportedly made a U-turn on their promise to lift the protest outside the university's gate number 4, claiming that they would do so only after receiving written assurances on their agreed-upon demands.

Prior to the June 25 meeting, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini constituted a four-member committee to hold discussions with the students.

The government-appointed committee comprised Education Minister Mahipal Dhanda, Public Works Minister Ranbir Gangwa, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Krishan Kumar Bedi and Nalwa MLA Randhir Panihar.

During their three-week protest starting from June 10, the students had also held a 'Chhatra Nyay Mahapanchayat' protest outside gate number 4 of the university, which had witnessed participation from opposition leaders, farmer unions, student organisations and employee bodies, all extending support to the students.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)