Students of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, have accused the authorities of robbing them of their right to protest following a circular barring "political/ apolitical gathering/ meeting" without permission.
The circular was issued on Monday, hours before IIT boys and girl were to march on the campus in solidarity with the students of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).
"Are they (the authorities) upset because we wanted to stand by the AMU students? Is this part of a saffron agenda?" asked a student.
The AMU students have been on a hunger strike since May 11 to protest police action against them. Several students were injured allegedly in a police action assault during a clash between them and a mob, mostly comprising Hindu Yuva Vahini members, which raided the campus demanding removal of a portrait of Muhammad Ali Jinnah from the students' union office.
The incident has triggered a debate across the country on whether such right-wing outfits have the right to dictate how to treat historical figures.
