JNU row: Students march to Jantar Mantar to show solidarity against continued arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar

NEW DELHI: Tempers continued to remain charged on the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus on Thursday as nearly a thousand students and teachers joined a protest march at Jantar Mantar to show solidarity against the continued arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar, even as the administration unsuccessfully appealed against the protest mobilisation.

“Feelings are running high on account of the manner in which Kanhaiya Kumar was picked up without any inquiry procedure and serious charges levelled against him. Plus the attack at the court on him,” Professor Ajay Patnaik, president of the JNU Teachers’ Association, told ET.

When asked what could be done to bring this apparent situation of stalemate — with the university administration on one side and students and teachers at the other— he said two suggestions if accepted, could help in easing tensions. “We have made certain suggestions. Immediate withdrawal of the suspension of eight students and the inquiry committee should be representative — women, deprived sections, non-science schools have not been — represented,” said Patnaik. Further, he also added that this is one key reason for the students to not appear before the inquiry commission.

“Inquiry should go on credibly, where students should participate. (The VC) hasn’t co-operated, he said co-operate with the existing one. Though, he has written that police won’t be allowed inside campus unless really required,” added the JNUTA president.

In a notable departure, most students flashed big and prominent Indian tricolor flags while marching on Thursday for Kanhaiya Kumar. While the slogans had the rhetoric of “saving JNU”, the demands from students were clear and precise: releasing Kanhaiya Kumar immediately, stopping “witch hunt” of students, removing all “false charges”, removing police from campus and removal of “academic suspension on the eight students.

In an appeal signed on behalf of Vice-Chancellor Jagdesh Kumar, the message read, “While we appreciate your right to protest, we are apprehensive of your safety outside campus. We, therefore, appeal to you to reconsider your decision for undertaking the march outside the campus.”

The Sangh-backed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad was conspicuous by its official absence from the protest march. Interestingly, though, posters signed by ABVP’s joint secretary on the JNU students’ union Saurabh Kumar Sharma calling for a morning meeting on Friday of the JNU students’ council with an agenda of “Incident Happned at Sabarmati Dhava on Feb 9, 2016” could be seen plastered.

While ABVP leaders in JNU could not be reached for comment, sources in the party unit said, the union is dealing with internal dissension.