Allahabad Uni Students Protest Over Fee Hike, One of Them Tries to Immolate Self

The protesting students have claimed that the Allahabad University has increased the fee by almost 400 percent.

A student leader of Allahabad University tried to immolate himself on Monday, 19 September, amidst the ongoing protest against fee hike for various courses in the 2022-23 academic year.

The protest against the fee hike has been going on for over a week.

On Monday, agitating students had a clash with the police, where student leader Adarsh Singh Badhuria accused police of harassment, and tried to immolate himself using kerosene.

Police, however, saved him from immolating himself.

The incident was followed by a clash between the police and the protesting students, where police also tried to arrest some students.

In UP's Prayagraj, a student among protestors agitating against the multi-fold fee hike at the Allahabad university tried to immolate himself. The police on the spot rescued him. pic.twitter.com/0MbzTInWfa

— Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) September 19, 2022

'Fee Hike by Almost 400 Percent': Students

The Chhatrasangh Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti has claimed that the Allahabad University has increased the under-graduate fees by almost 400 percent. The varsity admin has justified the fee hike. 

According to the Vice Chancellor Sangita Srivastava, “The fee per month at Allahabad University for the past 110 years has been Rs 12."

"In order to pay running costs of electricity bills and other maintenance, the fee was due to be enhanced for the past number of years. The private institutions are now the major players and they charge exorbitant fees," she added, as quoted by Hindustan Times.

Meanwhile, former UP Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati slammed the university over the fee hike.

"The way Allahabad University is trying to crush the students' movement in protest against the one-time huge increase in fees is unfair and condemnable," she said on Twitter.

Mayawati also urged the CM Yogi Adityanath-led state government to shed its "autocracy" and "sympathetically consider the legitimate demands of the students."

2. इसी क्रम में इलाहाबाद विश्वविद्यालय द्वारा फीस में एकमुश्त भारी वृद्धि करने के विरोध में छात्रों के आन्दोलन को जिस प्रकार कुचलने का प्रयास जारी है वह अनुचित व निन्दनीय। यूपी सरकार अपनी निरंकुशता को त्याग कर छात्रों की वाजिब माँगों पर सहानुभतिपूर्वक विचार करे, बीएसपी की माँग।

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) September 20, 2022

Last week, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra the fee hike by the Allahabad University is a move against the students.

"The 400 percent fee hike in Allahabad University is another move by the BJP government against the youth. Students from ordinary families of UP-Bihar come here to study. By increasing the fees, the government will take away a major source of education from these youth. The government should listening to the students and immediately withdraw the decision of increasing the fees," she said.

इलाहाबाद विवि में 400% फीस वृद्धि भाजपा सरकार का एक और युवा विरोधी कदम है। यहां यूपी-बिहार के साधारण परिवारों के बच्चे पढ़ने आते हैं। फीस वृद्धि कर सरकार इन युवाओं से शिक्षा का एक बड़ा जरिया छीन लेगी।

सरकार को छात्र-छात्राओं की बात सुनकर फीस वृद्धि का फैसला तुरंत वापस लेना चाहिए pic.twitter.com/Z28494Oxw5

— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) September 12, 2022

(With inputs from Hindustan Times.)