Disciplinary action against teachers who participated in hunger strike: JNU administration

The Jawaharlal Nehru University administration on Tuesday said that the varsity will be taking “disciplinary proceedings" against teachers who participated in a hunger strike last month. The teachers violated the High Court orders, according to the varsity. However, the JNU Teachers' Association (JNUTA) said their protests were within the constitutional framework.

Earlier, JNUTA office bearers called for a 24-hour-long protest in front of the Administration Block despite repeated objections by the administrations.

"Disciplinary proceeding, in fact, is in the pipeline against a few teacher protesters who defied the Delhi High Court order as well as the university rules. As per the decision of the High Court, protest of any kind is prohibited within 100 meters of the Administration Building," varsity said.

The varsity said the JNU rule also prohibits all kinds of protests in an area within 100 metres of the academic complexes, including the Dr BR Ambedkar Library.

It expressed concern about the JNUTA "inciting the students to indulge in illegal activities of the kind" they have indulged in.

"Such activities, particularly staging protests in prohibited areas of the campus in clear violation of university rules and court rulings, have adversely affected peace and stability in a campus that is known for its intellectual works," varsity's registrar Pramod Kumar said.

On Monday, the students' association held a public meeting outside the Dr BR Ambedkar Library over library fund cuts.

"A large number of students, faculty and even other stakeholders of the university seem to have been fed up with a handful of teacher and student activists who take up even trivial issues and twisted facts to disrupt peace just for their narrow political games," Kumar said.

The JNU administration is always prepared to hold dialogue on any issue in a peaceful atmosphere at all appropriate levels of the administrative structure, he added.

(With PTI inputs)