Students of FTII demanding removal of small screen actor Gajendra Chauhan as chairman of the institute have approached Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, seeking his intervention to check the "assault on institutions of higher learning". Sources in Congress said that the students have invited Gandhi to come to Pune and support their cause.


At least 250 FTII students are on strike against Chouhan's appointment and are demanding the formation a committee which will make the rules for the FTII society.


A number of filmmakers have also resigned as members of the Film and Television Institute of India Society expressing their solidarity with the students. Students have continued their strike for almost 40 days, boycotting academic work after failure of their talks with I and B minister Arun Jaitley in New Delhi on July 3 and after asking PM Modi to intervene.


In a letter to Gandhi, the President of FTII Students Association Harishankar Nachimuthu said the appointment of Chouhan has raised question over the process of appointments in the institute and sought his intervention to resolve the "crisis" in the FTII, the sources said. FTII students' association (FSA) has declared that the strike will continue till their main demand for removal of Chauhan--who they allege lacks vision and stature to head FTII--and reconstitution of the FTII Society is accepted.