India, July 30 -- Three leaders of the Opposition Congress's student wing, the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), on Thursday began an indefinite hunger strike atop a Jaipur water tank demanding the restoration of student union elections in Rajasthan and action against those responsible for the police excesses against protesters during the Parliament march against examination irregularities on July 20.

Viona Jat, who is leading the strike, accused Rajasthan's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of suppressing democratic rights by refusing to conduct student union elections. She alleged that the police action against students protesting "in a Gandhian manner" in Delhi reflected a "Hitlerian mindset."

Student union elections in...