PATIALA: Students of Rajiv Gandhi National Law University on Sunday announced to boycott exams scheduled to start from Monday to protest the suspension of six students.The six students had banged their plates on March 13 to register their protest against “poor and unhygienic food” being served in the mess. On March 15, the university formed a committee to look into the matter and ordered their suspension. On March 16, the students spent the night protesting on the main road outside the university. They said they were shocked that the university suspended the students only three days ahead of mid-semester examination. Over 700 students are pursuing law in the university.Mattresses on which many students slept on Saturday night.“We have decided to boycott the exams. We would not end our protest until our demands are met and the suspension orders revoked. Administrative officer SP Singh should be suspended as he played a negative role and misused his powers. He has violated the rights of privacy by forcibly looking into our WhatsApp messages and other social media groups. He also confiscated the mobile phones of many students,” said one of the protesters.“We are demanding hygienic food. A few students asked all of us to pick up our empty plates and keep them banging. However, a day later, the university suspended six students. We then staged a protest in front of the guest house of the university on Saturday. On Sunday, we sat in front of the office of vice-chancellor. The girl students scaled the back gate of the hostel to participate in the protest as they are demanding extension of hostel entry timings. Since last two nights we are sitting on mattresses we brought from our hostel rooms,” said a student of BA LLB second-year.Students claimed the girls are not allowed to roam within the block after 9 pm.Vice-chancellor Paramjit Singh Jaswal said a three-member bench of the Punjab and Haryana high court had clearly maintained that the suspension of the students will be revoked automatically if they end their strike. He said the students have to apologise in writing. The VC added that the students were suspended for indiscipline as they banged their plates in the mess. The mid-semester exams are going to be held as scheduled and the students who do not appear will be marked absent according to rules, he said.Administrative officer SP Singh against whom students have been protesting has been sent on leave till further orders. Meanwhile, vice-chancellor Paramjit Singh Jaswal said Justice Mahesh Grover of the Punjab and Haryana high court has asked the students to call off their strike and assure them that three of their demands, including sending SP Singh on leave, will be accepted. The VC said the students did not pay heed to his and the committee of judges’ requests. He said students had complained to judges who on Friday had come to university for their official work but did not mention about the quality of food.

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