VC row: Fasting Jadavpur University students' health deteriorating

The health of the Jadavpur University students, who are on an indefinite hunger strike demanding resignation of the vice-chancellor, started deteriorating on Thursday after eating no food in the last 72 hours, having rejected all appeals to call off their agitation.

A team of doctors who examined the students said the health of most of them was degrading with their blood pressure and blood sugar level falling "very low". Demanding resignation of Vice-chancellor Abhijit Chakrabarti whom they held responsible for the police crackdown on them during a gherao on September 17 night, a group of 12 students sat on a fast-unto-death since the night of January 5. Besides the VC, the registrar and the university's executive council have appealed to the students to end the strike and come to the negotiating table.

During the day, Governor K N Tripathi, also the Chancellor of the university, said, "Please stop the agitation. They are proud of their university and they should discuss the problems." Second-year philosophy student Arunima Mitra said they had been invited for talks with state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee. "We are giving him a last chance and we will go and meet him on Friday since he is responsible as the minister. We will ask him that if you remove the VC we will withdraw our agitation," she told PTI. During the day, the students brought out rallies to press for their demands.