SFI alleges ‘saffronisation’ of higher education, protests at MG University

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The police clearing the barricades pushed down by the SFI activists during a protest to the MG University on Monday | Photo Credit: VISHNU PRATHAP

The row over the appointment of the interim Vice-Chancellor at the Mahatma Gandhi University and nominations of members to its senate by the Governor continues to boil over with the Left wing students organisation, Students Federation of India (SFI), taking out a protest march to the university on Monday.

The march was organised alleging that the Governor Rajendra Arlekar was trying to ‘saffronise’ the higher education sector by filling the academic councils with BJP leaders. The march created some tension at the university entrance, when the police blocked the protesters with barricades at the main gate. When the protesters pulled down the barricade, the police resorted to using water cannons to disperse the crowd, resulting in minor altercations between the police and SFI leaders.

Later, the protesters staged a sit-in protest in front of the varsity gate. Various leaders spoke in the meeting.