JNU students, teachers appeal to VC to take stand for students

NEW DELHI: JNU students and teachers today appealed to the Vice Chancellor to take a stand in favour of the five students who were being looked for by the police in a sedition case and have now surfaced on the campus after being on the run for over 10 days.

"The students were in hiding because they feared mob- lynching and have returned when (they) believed that some normalcy returned on the campus. We want the university VC to take a stand like Jadavpur University and AMU that police will not come on campus," JNU Students Union Vice President Shehla Rashid Shora said while addressing a press conference here.

"The VC should also demand from Delhi Police that all charges against the students be dropped as it vitiates academic atmosphere," she said, adding a letter has been submitted to the VC in this regard.

The students union also said the administration has not approached them for a meeting.

"If they want us to share responsibility of handing over these students to police, we will not abide by that," she added.

The JNU Teachers Association (JNUTA) in an emergent meeting held today passed a resolution demanding that the "internal mechanism of the university should be allowed to work but only after re-construction of the inquiry panel. We also appeal the administration to maintain a conducive atmosphere to help students appear before the panel."

JNUTA president Ajay Patnaik told reporters, "Even legal luminaries have said that the sedition charge cannot be imposed frivolously, that too on students for mere shouting of slogans. We want the university to take a stand and get these charges dropped."

Meanwhile, a meeting of top varsity officials called by Vice Chancellor Jagdesh Kumar is underway in which the future course of action is likely to be decided.

Police sources said they will ask the VC to hand over the students to them rather than having a crackdown on the campus.