Umar Khalid Taken to AIIMS, Withdraws From Hunger Strike

7 students, including Kanhaiya Kumar, have withdrawn from the hunger strike, while 13 others are still continuing it.

JNU student Umar Khalid, who is out on bail in a sedition case and was on a hunger strike for the last 11 days, was taken to AIIMS in the wee hours of the morning today. Khalid’s sugar, sodium and potassium levels had fallen significantly. Khalid, who has been rusticated by the university for one semester, for his involvement in the controversial 9 February event, during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised, also had to withdraw from the hunger strike due to bad health.

Umar Khalid was forced to discontinue the hunger strike owing to acutely failing health. He had severe cramps in the evening because of low sodium-potassium level in his blood, following which he was taken to AIIMS post midnight for saline drips.

a JNU Students Union statement

Seven students, including JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar, have withdrawn from the fast against the punishment in connection with the event, while 13 others are still continuing with their hunger strike which entered the 12th day today. JNU Teachers Association (JNUTA), university alumni and mothers residing on the campus have come out in solidarity with the fasting students by going on a one-day relay hunger strike on different days. The university administration has appealed to the students not to invite outsiders on the campus and resort to “constitutional” means of putting forward their demands.

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Kanhaiya, Umar and Anirban Bhattacharya were arrested in February in a sedition case over the event and are out on bail now. While Kanhaiya has been slapped with a penalty of Rs 10,000, Umar, Anirban and a Kashmiri student, Mujeeb Gatoo, have been rusticated for varying durations. A financial penalty has been imposed on 14 students. Saurabh, who is the lone ABVP member in the JNU Students Union, has also been slapped with a fine of Rs 10,000 for blocking traffic. Five ABVP members including Saurabh, who were also on a hunger strike, had last week called off their fast claiming they have an assurance from the JNU administration about consideration of their demands.