SFI members demand restoration of student body polls in HP University, gherao MLA

Shimla, Sep 27 (PTI) Demanding immediate restoration of student body elections in the Himachal Pradesh University, the Students' Federation of India (SFI) on Saturday staged a protest and gheraoed Congress MLA Harish Janartha, who is also a member of the varsity's executive council.

Elections to the Students' Central Association (SCA) in the university have remained suspended for more than a decade.

The protest erupted when the Shimla (Urban) MLA was on his way to attend an executive council (EC) meeting.

The SFI members gheraoed the Congress legislator and raised "Janartha go back" slogans, expressing their anger over the prolonged suspension of SCA polls and other issues faced by the students.

A minor scuffle also broke out between the SFI members and police as the latter tried to disperse the crowd.

Following the incident, the SFI members staged a sit-in on the campus condemning the police action, and reiterating their demands.

"SCA elections have been suspended since 2013, which has severely undermined the democratic rights of the students. In the absence of elected representatives, the students lack a proper platform to voice their concerns before the administration," Ashish, joint secretary of the SFI's varsity unit, said.

The SFI also raised several other issues such as lack of hostel facilities, not recruiting non-teaching staff, and implementation of the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020, among others.

Following the protest, the SFI members submitted a memorandum listing their demands to the members of the EC, urging them to take immediate action on them, including restoration of SCA elections. PTI COR PRK ARI