New Delhi: A section of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) teachers and students alleged that they were “manhandled” and “heckled” by some professors at the academic council meeting held on Friday on campus.
“When students and teachers questioned the way all the agendas were being passed without discussion and debate, some stooges of the administration started chasing and heckling the student representatives,” JNU Students Union (JNUSU) president Mohit Kumar Pandey alleged.
There was no space for deliberation and reasoned debates at the meeting. Vice-chancellor (VC) Jagadesh Kumar cleared one agenda item after another without even registering dissent, he said.
The JNUSU also released a set of video clips claiming to be that of the proceedings of the meeting in which some professors were seen fiercely arguing with each other.
“Professors Atul Kumar Johri and Ashwani Kumar Mohapatra physically heckled JNUSU joint secretary Tabrez Hassan and held him by his collar. Similarly, other student representatives were shouted down and threatened,” the JNUSU said in a release.
The JNUSU claimed that Mr Johri was not a member of the academic council, yet he attended the meeting. However, while rejecting the allegations as baseless, Mr Mohapatra said: “It is unethical and illegal to video-record the AC meeting.
The allegations of students are baseless. I tried to stop them from taking my pictures as they were doing so every time I stood up to speak. The students were trying to obstruct the meeting. So we demanded that the VC take disciplinary action against the students, or I will stay away from attending the meetings.”
The 143rd academic council (AC) meeting was convened on Friday, after it was adjourned on May 9, amid opposition from wide circles for holding the meeting during summer vacations.
It is learnt that the VC concluded the 143rd AC meeting after declaring all the agendas as passed. JNU Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) president Ayesha Kidwai termed the meeting as a “farce.”
Meanwhile, JNU rector Chintamani Mahapatra said a section of students were taking such initiatives with a political agenda. “Professor Atul Kumar Johri was a special invitee to the meeting,” he said.
