By Vinai Venkatesham 
Initially, the barricades outside JNU’s gates were removed and the students were allowed to march. The police later stopped the march around 500 metres from the varsity’s gates.
Demanding a complete rollback of the hostel fee hike, hundreds of JNU students on Monday started their protest march from the university campus towards the Parliament amid heavy police deployment. The varsity’s students have been protesting for nearly three weeks against the draft hostel manual, which has provisions for hostel fee hike, dress code and curfew timings.
The police said ten companies have been deployed outside JNU. One company comprises 70 to 80 personnel.
A senior official said police personnel are accompanying the agitating students during the march to ensure no untoward incident takes place.
Initially, the barricades outside JNU’s gates were removed and the students were allowed to march. The police later stopped the march around 500 metres from the varsity’s gates.
Former JNU Students’ Union president N Sai Balaji said, “Delhi Police stops JNU students peaceful march to parliamentarians! The Mhrd is fooling students by forming committee. Why didn’t the committee suspend fee hike till dialogue is happening? We are demanding a rollback of the fee hike.”
The protest march comes on the first day of the Parliament’s Winter Session.
Earlier, the HRD Ministry appointed a three-member committee to recommend ways to restore normal functioning of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).