JNU vice-chancellor’s residence attacked by protesting students, 'confine wife'

Jawaharlal Nehru University’s (JNU) students protesting against the new admission rules on Monday, allegedly barged into the vice-chancellor’s residence on campus, while his wife was alone in the house and ‘confined her’.

Vice-chancellor Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar tweeted: “Few hundred students have broken into my residence at JNU and have confined my wife inside the house. She is alone at home and terrified. Very unfortunate.”

This evening few hundred students forcibly broke into my JNU residence and confined my wife inside home for several hours while I was away in a meeting. Is it the way to protest? Terrorosing a lonely lady at home?

— Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar (@mamidala90) March 25, 2019

According to sources, students from Left outfits went to the vice-chancellor's residence to demand an audience with him since he had not been meeting them. When they went to meet him last week, he offered them sweets rather than addressing their concerns, 

Some reports suggest that a mob of 150 students broke open the front gate and entered the compound of V-C’s official house.

"JNU wants to introduce MBA with a fee of Rs 12 lakh without hostels, school buildings, faculty and deprivation points. For this, JNU administration has dismantled BA lateral entry programme, delinked MPhil-Phd programme, destroyed deprivation points,” The Hindu quoted the JNUSU as saying.

The Delhi Police said: "There was a call for March till the JNU V-C’s house today. Students reached his house and tried to enter. They were stopped by the security staff. So far, most of the students have gone back to their hostel. Few of them are still there. The situation is under control.”

A student from a Left outfit rejected the allegation and said a group of students had gone to meet the vice-chancellor, but they were allegedly manhandled by the security personnel.

"We had gone to his residence to meet the V-C. We were manhandled by security personnel and many students have sustained injuries, including JNUSU president N Sai Balaji," the student said.  

Eleven students have been on an indefinite hunger strike since Tuesday against issues like the online entrance exams to be held for the first time by the varsity. The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers' Association (JNUTA) called for a one-day strike on Wednesday in solidarity with the protesting students.

"The hunger strike by a handful of students has been choreographed by the JNUTA office bearers and the latter's press notes and letters to faculty members clearly betray their intolerant attitude towards all positive reforms and improvements brought about by the administration," JNU registrar Pramod Kumar said.

He said the elected body of teachers in JNU is indulging in lies and smear campaigns against the administration at a time when the university has been taking measures to make a better and conducive academic atmosphere in the campus.

JNUTA office bearers have registered their opposition to it, called for a strike, and have been provoking students to join them in creating confusion and sullying the environment in the campus, Kumar said. 

(With PTI inputs)