On Monday, Jawaharlal Nehru University Vice Chancellor Jagadesh Kumar said that the university stood with the JNU students and teachers and their right to freedom of expression.
However, a letter has exposed the VC’s doublespeak on the February 9 incident.
The letter, written by the University Registrar to the deputy commissioner of police, South District, says the “VC grants to the police force permission to enter JNU campus if need be and as you may deem fit.”
Dated February 11, the letter has no other riders or stipulations.
The next day, the police -- in large numbers -- entered the campus and arrested Kanhaiya Kumar, the president of the JNU Student’s Union, and charged him with sedition.
Following the police action, teachers from JNU supported their students and carried out a protest. Students boycotted classes on Monday and demanded the immediate release of their president.
Vice-Chancellor Jadesh Kumar appealed to the students to not resort to strikes and protests so that academic functioning of the university is not hampered.
“We also stand for free expression of ideas but I believe there is no need for strikes as the problem can be solved amicably. We are reaching out to the entire JNU community to see how the problem can be addressed but academic functioning of the university is of prime importance and should not be hampered,” he said.
Image: JNU students agitating for the release of Kanhaiya Kumar at the campus in New Delhi on Monday. Photograph: Kamal Singh/PTI
