The escalating standoff over the arrest of JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, on sedition charges today saw the students going on strike till he is released. While the teachers yesterday extended solidarity with the students over the issue, they have not joined the strike yet. Kanhaiya, who was sent to three-days police custody, will be produced in court on Monday.
Vice Chancellor Jadesh Kumar appealed to the students to not resort to strikes and protests so that academic functioning of the university is not hampered. “We also stand for free expression of ideas, but I believe there is no need for strikes as the problem can be solved amicably. We are reaching out to the entire JNU community to see how the problem can be addressed but academic functioning of the university is of prime importance and should not be hampered,” he told reporters.
While the teachers’ association of the university has raised questions over the VC allowing a police crackdown on campus, Kumar said he was bound by the “law of land”. “I never invited the police to enter the campus and pick our students. We only provided whatever cooperation was needed as per the law of land. We were bound to do so,” he added.
JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested last week on charges of sedition and criminal conspiracy. An FIR claimed that the students had indulged in anti-national activities at an event to commemorate and protest Afzal Guru’s execution. His arrest has triggered widespread outrage among students and teachers and has drawn severe criticism from the Congress and CPI(M).
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)