JNU Students Protest VP Dhankhar's Campus Visit, University Calls for Inquiry

Jawaharlal Nehru University students staged a protest on Thursday when Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar visited the campus, eliciting a firestorm response from the university and a call for an internal inquiry.

 

The Vice President accepted the campus visit on behalf of an Indian Knowledge System seminar in which he was a guest of honor and was accompanied by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal. The protest was thought to be a highest-level academic function preceded by student protest organized by Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) activists.

 

It's reported that students had been demonstrating for days on pending issues on campus, from hostel residence to administrative matters. The VP's visit was interrupted by a group of students who reportedly attempted to barricade his vehicle on the campus grounds, which necessitated more stringent security preparations.

 

As it issued an official statement, the university appreciated the necessity to invite the Vice President and expressed gratitude to campus security personnel and Delhi Police for maintaining the event peaceful. The administration vituperatively condemned protesting students and termed the act as "unwarranted" and "against democratic principles."

 

"The behavior of some of the students in trying to cause havocs on the day of the event is revolting and is tarring the university with shame," the Registrar office stated. The government condemned illegal and rowdy conduct, but upheld the right of students to protest.

 

The university asked the university's internal security department to investigate the case duly and present a report. The university also asked the students to make their demands respectfully and peacefully.

 

Restraint in lobbying and diplomacy, the Registrar once more asked for the need to preserve JNU's academic ethos and let dissidence be expressed without damaging the working or reputation of the university.