New Delhi: The demand for sacking of JNU Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar grew louder on Monday, with the students’ union and teachers accusing him of behaving like a “mobster” and of “perpetrating violence” in the university.
Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union president Aishe Ghosh, who was brutally attacked on Sunday by a group of masked men, accused him of “incompetency” and demanded that he should step down.
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, a former JNUSU president, said, “The vice chancellor is also complicit in this attack. He must be sacked immediately.”
On his part, Kumar appealed to all students to maintain peace, saying the university’s top priority was protecting the academic interests of students.
The JNU Teachers Association (JNUTA) demanded that the vice-chancellor either tender his resignation or be removed by the HRD Ministry.
“He is a cowardly vice-chancellor who introduces illegal policies through the backdoor, runs away from questions of students or teachers and then manufactures a situation to demonise JNU,” the JNUSU charged.
“The violence that happened is the result of the desperation and frustration of the VC and his cronies. But the chronology of events that unfolded today is a shameful episode for the Delhi Police who gave a safe passage to ABVP goons imported from outside,” it alleged.
Sonajharia Minz, a former JNUTA president, questioned the absence of Kumar when the entire incident was unfolding.
“Where was our supreme authority, the VC, when this attack was happening between 4.30 to 7 pm? Where was he,” Minz asked.
Vikramaditya Chaudhary, a faculty member, said they tried to call the administration officials but no one responded.
“My wife was chased by a mob. She ran for her life while she was abused and chased. She also locked the house from inside. They banged every house in the complex of the housing society,” Chaudhary alleged.
Kumar stayed away from meeting that were held between JNU administration and HRD Ministry Monday.
PTI