Anirban Bhattacharya, one of the JNU students arrested on charges of sedition, had found himself in trouble over an event he organised around the same time last year. Jawaharlal Nehru University authorities had then transferred him to another hostel and fined him Rs 5,000 for allegedly organising a public talk without permission.
According to the proctoral order number 38/CP/2015, he gave incorrect information about the speakers invited for the talk.
Anirban along with Umar Khalid and at least six others have been accused of recently organising the controversial Feb 9 event commemorating the hanging of 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.
The RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad on Friday alleged that some ex-members of Democratic Students Union (DSU), including Anirban and Umar, have been found guilty of organising similar events in the past over the last three years.
DSU is an ultra-Leftist group in the campus that allegedly believes in the Maoist. “This act of Mr Anirban Bhattacharya is very serious in nature, unbecoming of a student of JNU and calls for strict disciplinary action against him,” a university order had said after last year’s event.
“However, keeping his career prospects in mind, the Vice Chancellor has taken a somewhat lenient view in the matter,” it added.
Based on the proctoral order, the ABVP said it will ask vice chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar to take “strong action” against the Dean Students Welfare, who gave permission for organising this year’s February 9 event.
The permission, however, was withdrawn barely 15 minutes before the event was scheduled to begin. Sources in the varsity said Umar Khalid too had been fined Rs 3,000 on one occasion for holding an unsanctioned protest.
JNU Students’ Union
vice president Shehla Rashid Shora accused the ABVP of diverting from the issue and said that the university administration in the past has allowed the right-wing organisation to hold Islamophobic events on Love Jihad.
Cricket on campus
Meanwhile, the ABVP said it will screen India-Pakistan Asia Cup T20 match on Saturday on the campus to “instill nationalism” among students.
Live streaming of match will be done on the lawn of Mahi Hostel. “India will be taking on Pakistan after a long time and it is globally believed that sports bring out nationalism among citizens. We are using this opportunity to instill nationalism among students, and we will watch the match with true sportsmanship,” JNU Students’ Union joint secretary and ABVP member Saurabh Kumar Sharma said.
Published 27 February 2016, 03:41 IST