Twin protests at Raj University intensify demand for student union polls | Jaipur News

Jaipur: Two separate protests are underway at Rajasthan University, both pressing for restoration of student union elections, with one group staging a sit-in at the university gate and another escalating its agitation atop a water tank through an indefinite hunger strike. A group of students has been holding a peaceful sit-in outside the university’s main gate for the past 15 days. Meanwhile, three NSUI functionaries have been protesting atop a water tank near Gandhi Nagar railway station since Thursday morning. On Friday, they announced an indefinite hunger strike, saying they would continue until their demand for student union elections is met. Students participating in the sit-in claimed their peaceful agitation has failed to draw the attention of authorities. Arvind Nagal, a final-year law student and one of the protesters, said, “We have been protesting peacefully for 15 days, but no one in authority is listening to us. Student union elections are a crucial democratic link between students and the administration. Right now, corruption is happening unchecked under the guise of maintenance and re-evaluation fees. If the authorities continue to ignore our demand to restore elections, we will be forced to intensify our movement and march to surround the Assembly or the Chief Minister’s residence.” The students maintained that their movement is not driven by political or personal interests but aims “to safeguard the interests of thousands of Rajasthan University students, improve the education system, and secure essential amenities.” In support of the hunger strike, NSUI members announced a traffic blockade on Tonk Road Friday evening. The protest led to a confrontation with police, who detained several demonstrators. In a statement on X, NSUI Rajasthan said, “Police arrested NSUI functionaries during a peaceful demonstration held in support of their colleagues who are occupying the water tank to demand the restoration of student union elections. NSUI functionaries will neither be intimidated nor bow down due to these arrests; the struggle will continue until student union elections are restored.”