Reinstate the five rusticated students: JNUTA

The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) on Tuesday demanded the reinstatement of the five students, including the four office-bearers of JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU), who were rusticated for two semesters. JNUSU president Aditi Mishra, vice-president Gopika Babu, general secretary Sunil Yadav, joint secretary Danish Ali, and former JNUSU president Nitish Kumar were rusticated on Monday for “vandalism” during a protest held last year against the installation of a biometric system for entry into the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Central Library on the campus.

Terming the rustication orders an “assault on the collective democratic rights” of the university’s student body, the teachers’ association said, “The judge, jury and executioner in all these cases is an administration, which is the real face of vandalism in the university with its everyday acts of destruction of the institution from within.”

“We [the JNUTA] demand immediate revocation of the rustication orders,” the teachers’ association stated in a release.

Meanwhile, the JNUTA reiterated its demand, earlier submitted to President Droupadi Murmu, that Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit be removed from her position as the head of the institution.

JNU administrative officials did not comment on the rustication orders.

When reached for comment on the fate of the rusticated students, the V-C did not respond.