Mumbai (The Hindu): Students from the Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS) held a protest on Saturday against the suspension of eight student activists by the New Delhi-based Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), who were demanding reduction in the weightage of viva marks and minority deprivation points. The students were also protesting a fee hike and demanding justice for missing JNU student Najeed Ahmad.

The TISS students participated in a protest march organised by the Ambedkarite Students’ Association (ASA) that started from TISS and culminated at Ambedkar Garden in Chembur.

“The students had organised a democratic protest outside the academic council meeting on December 26. There have been numerous protests by JNU students in the past, but no such action was ever taken. This is a ploy to socially ostracise the students, the same way that Rohith Vemula and his friends were at the University of Hyderabad,” Nitin Dhatode, a TISS student and ASA member, said.

Protesting students demanded revocation of the JNU VC’s order of suspension and fulfilment of all their demands. Besides ASA, the Progressive Students’ Forum (PSF) too has demanded that the JNU students’ suspension be revoked. “These actions taken by the JNU administration and the VC have occurred consistently over the past year, and has consequently acted against students at JNU and, in particular, against the interests of marginalised students,” said the statement released by PSF.

The PSF has also demanded action against the JNU VC, reiterating the stand taken by various Ambedkarite and Leftist student unions.