Expressing his solidarity with the protesting Film & Television Institute of India (FTII) students, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal offered them temporary space in the national capital to run their classes. His offer comes hours after five FTII students were arrested in connection with the ongoing crisis.
Kejriwal, in a series of tweets posted on Wednesday morning, said that the Delhi government will offer them temporary studying space until the Centre agrees to their demands. He then promised to covert the temporary studying arrangement into an institute if the Central government doesn't agree to the demands of the FTII students at all.
Am shocked to hear whats gng on at FTII. An internationally reputed institute being systematically destroyed by govt's wrong decisions(1/3)
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 19, 2015
My offer to FTII students- Del govt can provide u temp space in Del. Run ur classes here till central govt agrees(2/3) — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 19, 2015
If finally, central govt doesn't agree, we'll convert this place into full fledged institute n students can continue studying here only(3/3)
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 19, 2015
The Maharashtra Police arrested five FTII students from the campus in Pune at around 12:45 am on Wednesday. They were arrested on the basis of a complaint filed by FTII director Prashant Pathrabe, who was held captive at his office for eight hours on 18 August.
The FTII students, who have been protesting against the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as the new president of the institute's governing body for the last two months, were agitated to learn that the assessment of incomplete diploma film projects of the 2008 batch had begun on the orders of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
The students called the ongoing assessment "irrational and unjustified" as the delay was caused due to administrative failure. They gheraoed Pathrabe at his office and demanded the assessment be stopped.
Meanwhile, the I&B Ministry has decided to step in and assess the situation at the campus. A team of I&B Ministry is expected to visit the campus on 19 August and meet the representative of students, according to news reports.
