Celebrations on campus as Kanhaiya reaches JNU after release

Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union president Kanhaiya Kumar reached the university premises on Thursday hours after being released from Tihar jail where he was lodged on the charge of sedition, triggering celebrations on the campus that had lately become a venue for vociferous protests.

Students and teachers eagerly waiting to catch a glimpse of Kanhaiya had gathered at the Ganga Dhaba from where they will take out a victory march to the Administration Block which has become a venue of protest since his arrest on February 12.

People also queued up outside Kumar's hostel Brahmaputra with dhols and daflis to accompany him during the march.

Meanwhile, two separate meetings of the students union and JNU teachers association were underway to decide the future course of action. Kanhaiya is expected to address the gathering after the march.

However, the university administration maintained the report of the high-level committee has not been submitted to it yet.

“The five-member panel had a deadline till 12 midnight on Thursday. The varsity will take a call based on the recommendations of the panel,” a senior JNU official said.

After Kanhaiya was granted interim bail on Wednesday by the Delhi high court, celebrations had broken out outside Parliament Street Police Station where students had been camping.

Shouting ‘victory’ slogans for Kanhaiya, students later marched from Sabarmati Dhaba, during the night hours.

The JNUSU president was arrested in connection with an event on the campus during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.

Five other students -- Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya, Rama Naga, Anant Prakash and Ashutosh Kumar -- had gone in hiding since then but resurfaced on the campus 10 days later.

While Umar and Anirban surrendered before the police, the remaining three refused to do so but maintained that they are open to questioning by police as and when needed.

Kanhaiya was granted interim bail for six months by the Delhi high court.