Protesting students not to disrupt convocation at Pune University

Various students organisations began their protests near the main building of Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) even as hundreds of students came to collect their degree certificates. These are part of the continuing protests on attacks on students at various universities, the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari was present for the 116th convocation ceremony at 3 pm near the main building. The students held protest placards and raised slogans as a part of their agitation. There was heavy police bandobast inside SPPU and intensive checking was going on of every person entering the convocation ceremony pandal.

A protesting student, Disha Shinde, said, “We are fully co-operating with the police department as we have been given five minutes to meet the governor and convey our demands and issues after the convocation programme.

Saad Ahmed a student from SPPU who received his Master’s degree certificate today and participated in the protest said, “All of us have gathered here to protest against CAA, NRC and attack on students in various universities as today is an important day in our lives as we are getting our degree certificates. We collected our certificates and are now protesting peacefully. We are not going to disrupt or disturb the convocation ceremony in any manner.”

On Tuesday, DCP (zone 4) Pankaj Deshmukh held a meeting with student organisation representatives to ensure that that the protest would be peaceful.

In the morning on Wednesday, Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) students protested inside Modern College, Ganeshkhind branch on the attack on their students inside Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Sunday.