'We are apprehensive of your safety outside campus,' JNU tells students

Several hours before a protest march intended to show support for arrested student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, the Jawaharlal Nehru University authorities appealed to its student fraternity to ‘reconsider’ the march on account of their safety.

JNU Vice Chancellor Jagdesh Kumar has appealed to the students to reconsider their march to Jantar Mantar on Thursday afternoon citing ‘safety’ reasons.

‘While we appreciate your right to protest, we are apprehensive of your safety outside the campus. We, therefore, appeal to you to reconsider your decision for undertaking the march outside the campus,’ the VC said in an advisory issued to students.

The students and teachers of the varsity have decided to march from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar at 2.30 pm demanding release of JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar, who was arrested Friday last in a sedition case, in connection with an event against hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, where anti-national slogans were alleged to have been raised.

JNU Students Union Vice President, Shehla Rashid Shora, who will be leading the march, had on Wednesday written to the VC informing him of the march and requesting him to ensure security arrangements.

The varsity's chief security officer had also sent a communication to police on Wednesday requesting the force to make adequate security arrangements for students during the march and till they are back in the campus.

Kumar was arrested on Friday for allegedly making anti-national statements at an event on campus on February 9 to mark the anniversary of the execution of terrorist Afzal Guru.

Students refuse to appear before JNU probe panel

Meanwhile, JNU teachers have questioned the "scope" of the university probe panel inquiring into the raising of alleged anti-national slogans on campus and demanded that more members should be included into the high-level committee.

The members of the student council, who have been asked to appear before the committee, have also refused to participate in enquiry process citing "unjust" academic suspension of 8 students.

While the students are boycotting the classes demanding release of the JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar, the teachers are divided over the disruption of classes.

"The committee which has been constituted by the university has only three members in it and all of them are from the same department. This is such a serious matter. We should have more 'democratic' composition of the panel with members from outside JNU who can probe the matter in an unbiased manner," said Bikramaditya Choudhary, Secretary, JNU Teachers Association.

"The panel should also include members from the hostel committee, equal opportunity cell and the gender sensitisation panel. We have decided that teachers will support the student agitation but perform their academic duties and submitted our demands to the Vice Chancellor," he added.

The members of JNU students council were asked to appear before the probe panel for seeking "clarifications" regarding the February 9 incident.

"We feel that the composition of the committee is undemocratic. Also the academic suspension of the students on basis of the so called preliminary report is 'unjustified'," a student councillor said.

The JNU administration had instituted a "disciplinary" enquiry as to how the event against hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, took place despite withdrawal of permission. The varsity's students union president is in judicial custody in a sedition case in connection with the event.