The Congress party has thrown its full weight behind the agitating students of the private Ayurveda College. On one hand, the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Pritam Singh met the chief secretary, Utpal Kumar Singh, and on other, the members of the National Students Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of the Congress party held a vehement protest outside the residence of the AYUSH Minister Harak Singh Rawat on Friday. The agitating members of the NSUI were arrested by the police and taken to the Cant police station.

Heading a delegation of Congress leaders, the PCC president Pritam Singh told the CS that the orders of Uttarakhand High Court (HC) on fees of the private colleges should be respected. He said that the single and double bench of HC had revoked the fees hike by the private Ayurveda colleges and directed that the increased fees charged by these colleges from the students should be refunded within two weeks.

He asked- under whose influence, the orders of the court are not being followed? The delegation handed over a memorandum to the CS on the issue. In the memorandum the Congress said that the state government in the year 2015 had released a Government Order (GO) for increase in fees of the private Ayurveda Colleges.

The GO was released without necessary recommendation of the fee fixation committee and was implemented from back date in gross violation of all norms. On July 2018, the HC cancelled the GO and directed that the increased fee should be refunded within 15 days. The private colleges challenged this order but on October 9, 2018, a bench of HC upheld the earlier decision. In pursuance of the HC order, the state government passed the orders for fee refund but the administrators of these colleges are not following the order. The Congress leaders demanded that the state government should take immediate cognizance of the dictatorial attitude of the private colleges and prevent harassment of the students.

The delegation also expressed its anguish on the fact that the police have used force on these students and filed cases on them.

Apart from the PCC chief, former MLA Rajkumar, Vice President Surya Kant Dhasmana, Mahanagar president Lal Chand Sharma, spokesperson Garima Dasauni and other leaders were in the delegation.

Meanwhile, in support of the agitating students of private Ayurveda colleges, the members of the NSUI held a vehement protest outside the residence of Forest, environment and Ayush Minister Harak Singh Rawat on the day. The NSUI members demanded resignation of the minister on the issue.

The president of the NSUI, Mohan Bhandari said that the manner in which the justified demand of the students is being overlooked, proves that the whole system is working to protect the interests of Ministers and BJP leaders.

He said that the if the fees of the students are not refunded, then the NSUI would undertake lockout of these colleges from November 5. The agitating activists of NSUI were arrested by the police.

However, after furnishing personal bonds, the students were released in the afternoon.