New Delhi: Several students have reportedly been severely injured following lathicharge by police during their march to the parliament in protest against the hostel fee hike. A particular video doing the rounds on social media shows a male student being forcibly led into a police vehicle while profusely bleeding from the head.

Amit Shah’s Delhi police brutally assaulted JNU students for demanding the rollback of increased fee. Is it the way to treat students?#EmergencyinJNU

pic.twitter.com/INfnwW0spV — Ravi Nair (@t_d_h_nair) November 18, 2019

Reports have said that as many as 50 students have been taken into custody, including JNU students’ union president Aishe Ghosh.

ANI has quoted Mandeep S Randhawa, the Delhi Police public relations officer as having promised an “inquiry” into the allegations of lathicharge.

Entry and exit points of three metro stations were closed off in the wake of the protests.

Yellow Line Update As advised by Delhi Police, trains are not halting at Udyog Bhawan and Patel Chowk. Exit/Entry Gates for Udyog Bhawan, Patel Chowk and Central Secretariat have been closed temporarily. — Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (@OfficialDMRC) November 18, 2019



Meanwhile, several university student bodies and opposition political parties have lent voices of support to the protesting JNU students.

Heavy police presence was deployed outside the university campus on Monday. The police also barricaded all main roads around the campus and said that Section 144 had been imposed.

Reporters at the seen said students were breaking past the barricades, and the police responded with water cannons.

The agitation comes on the first day of the parliament’s winter session, which will end on December 13.

Students have been protesting against the increase in hostel fee for the past three weeks, even as the university’s administration on Wednesday announced a partial rollback of the hike. The union had termed the decision an “eyewash”.

43% of students of JNU have an annual parental income of less than ₹ 1,44,000 and the proposed fee hike will make the annual hostel fee ₹ 66,100 for Single Seater and ₹ 62, 500 for Double Seater#EmergencyinJNU @DrRPNishank @mamidala90 @JNUSUofficial — JNUSU (@JNUSUofficial) November 18, 2019

Ten companies have been deployed outside JNU, police said. One company comprises 70 to 80 personnel.

The JNU Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) expressed concerns over the deployment of police outside the varsity.

“The massive police deployment and barricading the gates of the JNU campus, on the face of it appears to be only for the purpose of preventing the students from taking out their planned march to the Parliament,” it said.

“Such measures or use of force to thwart the exercise of constitutionally guaranteed democratic rights and to impede the students from peacefully taking their voice beyond the campus would be extremely unfortunate and the JNUTA hopes that no such situation will eventually arise,” the association said.

Police officials said adequate security arrangements have also been made along the route of the march. Police personnel have been deployed at all entry points leading to the Parliament, a senior police official said.

(With PTI inputs)