Hundreds of Delhi University students blocked a gate at a metro station in the city on Thursday, demanding that the recent increase in metro fares be rolled back. They ended the “Occupy Vishwavidyalaya” protest in the evening after a senior metro official assured them that authorities would consider their demands.
The students threatened to protest at the offices of the chief minister and prime minister if their demands are not met within a week.
Protestors blocked gate number 3 of the Vishwavidyalaya metro station and shouted slogans, even as police and the Central Industrial Security Force were deployed at the location. Apart from a rollback of the increase in fares, they also demanded discounted travel passes for students.
“We will occupy the gate till somebody from the central government or DMRC [Delhi Metro Rail Corporation] gives us an assurance that the fare hike will be rolled back,” said Kawalpreet Kaur of All India Students’ Association earlier in the day, according to The Indian Express. “Until then, we won’t move from here.”
After blocking the gate of the metro station for a few hours, the students blocked the road in front of the station, as well, and formed a human chain. They claimed that the police baton-charged them and some of them were injured.
“The decision to increase fares has added an extra burden of Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 to their [students’] monthly budget and made it really difficult to carry on their survival,” Kaur said, adding that the government should increase the frequency of state-run buses.
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