Protest mars Pranab's visit to varsity

 Angry protests by students at the Al-Quds University against India’s growing relationship with Israel forced President Pranab Mukherjee to skip the inauguration of a school named after Jawaharlal Nehru.

Hundreds of students shouted slogans and carried placards opposing India’s ties with the Israel while Mukherjee was being honoured by Al-Quds university with an honorary degree and hailed as a “Knight of Peace”.

Mukherjee was to inaugurate a secondary school for boys named after Jawaharlal Nehru after the function. But it was called off due to the tense situation. Mukherjee immediately left for Israel, via road.

The security personnel did not feel it prudent to wait for the function to end and ushered the President out of the auditorium where he encountered students asking him and India to “boycott Zionism”.

Holding Palestine flags, the students, including girls in large numbers, shouted slogans demanding justice and remembering those who were killed by Israeli forces. One of the handwritten posters read, “You have to listen to our voices, India and Palestine.”

Other posters read, “India why do you cooperate with the occupiers (Israel)”, “Indian President raise your voice against Israel’s aggression”, and “Indian President don't keep quiet against the butchers slaying Palestinians”.

Some of the security team members also got stuck in the crowd, but they were helped by others and joined the President’s convoy later.