JNU Leftists Indulge In Rowdyism, ‘Lock’ Vice-Chancellor In Office

As protest intensified over a missing scholar in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), dissenting ‘students’ laid a siege to the administrative building for more than 15 hours and confined Vice-Chancellor (VC) M Jagadesh Kumar inside the building.

The protests started outside the administrative block at 2 pm and grew more intense as the day wore off. Demanding a conclusive response on the whereabouts of a missing scholar Najeeb Ahmed, students blocked all exit points in the building.

Apart from Kumar, Rectors one and two and Registrar of the university were said to be confined inside the building. All student unions, except Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), took part in the blockade and vented out their anger at the university officials. The besieged VC appealed to the protesting students to let them out of the building and discuss the matter.

However, students have denied keeping anyone hostage, and said anyone is allowed to come and go ‘over our bodies’.

Ahmed had gone missing on the night of 14 October from the university hostel Mahi-Mandvi after a brawl with a few ABVP students. Since then a police complaint has been filed under IPC Section 365 and a proctorial inquiry has been initiated by the university. On 18 October, VC had also met the parents of Ahmed and had apprised them of all that they were doing to find him. Moreover, the case is with Delhi Police and a reward of Rs 50,000 has been announced for anyone who can provide information.

A similar incident took place at Kolkata’s Jadavpur University, another hub of left-leaning student unions. The university's VC and several other officials were locked in by several fourth-year engineering students for more than 24 hours following the suspension of two of their fellow students over ragging.

The student unions, it seems, want the VC and his staff to look around for the missing scholar.

With Inputs From IANS.