New Delhi: A large number of students on Saturday protested outside the UP Bhavan here demanding immediate withdrawal of cases against Lucknow University students who allegedly blocked the convoy of CM Yogi Adityanath and showed him black flags during his visit to the varsity on Wednesday.
On June 7, some student activists had shown black flags to the UP chief minister as his cavalcade moved towards Lucknow University where he was invited to attend a programme on Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji.
Eleven students were subsequently arrested and a court had sent them to judicial custody for "breaching the security of the chief minister".
Lucknow University has suspended eight of the 11 students in the wake of the incident.
The students had protested the misuse of varsity funds and space for the RSS's saffronisation project - according to the finance officer of Lucknow University who objected to the use of funds for such an event, Sucheta De, national president of the All India Students' Association (AISA) said in a statement.
"However, the police came down heavily on the protesting students and 14 of them were arrested and sent to judicial custody," she said.
JNUSU president Mohit Pandey said, "It is shameful that the government is branding everyone who protests against them as Naxalites and anti-nationals. We have seen this in JNU and we are seeing the same with the Bhim Army and the students of Lucknow University who protested against Yogi Adityanath."
Those who protested outside the Uttar Pradesh Bhavan included students from Delhi University, JNU and Jamia Millia.
Members of the Joint Action Committee formed by students of various universities in Delhi also took part in the protest.
