Don't obstruct VC, staff from working: HC to JNU students

New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students are not willing to surrender on protests but vacated the administrative block on Friday after having occupied it for two days. However, the students continued their protest demanding rollback of attendance. With this new attendance rule, students would be forfeited of their hostel accommodation and scholarship/fellowship in case they do not achieve 75 percent attendance. Moving away from the block, students said that they were not doing anything illegal.

"We are not in the admin block anymore. There was no siege as such. It's all a lie. But we are continuing with the strike," Simone Zoya Khan, JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) Vice President said.

Moreover, Delhi high court also issued a notice to office bearers of Jawaharlal Nehru University Student Union (JNUSU) on a plea seeking contempt action against students for violating a court ruling, which restrains them to protest within 100 metres of admin block of the university. "The respondents (the JNU Students Union's four office bearers including its president) shall not block the ingress and egress of the Vice-Chancellor, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Registrar and connected staff to the administrative block of the university for tomorrow, day-after-tomorrow and on Monday," the court said.

This comes a day after a group of JNU students confined top officials in the admin building of the varsity in a protest against the compulsory attendance system. The court also sought a reply by February 20. It also issued an interim direction barring JNU student leaders from restraining entry of vice-chancellor, pro vice-chancellor, registrar and staff into the Admin building till Monday. The court further observed that the JNU administration can take help of Delhi Police if any extreme situation occurs. Moreover, police have also registered an FIR against all the office bearers.

Vice Chancellor M. Jagadesh Kumar had called the students gathering at the campus a 'siege' and also accused the students of manhandling an official.

"Taking the university to ransom by JNUSU led students and confining the top officials in admin building since morning is highly condemnable. Let us raise our voice against such unwelcome behaviour. You can see the pictures to realise how they are bent upon creating unrest in JNU," he had tweeted on Thursday.

Earlier on Friday, the JNUSU in a statement said that the college administration should meet the students and teachers and 'not dictate through media, court, police and punishments." The student union further alleged that the vice-chancellor and its top administrators have been spreading falsehoods about the JNU students' protests.

"Students are not fighting for the right to not attend classes, they are fighting for their right to learn without pointless and arbitrary regimentation, in the best traditions of JNU, that have sustained its academic excellence for decades. In fact, teachers have been supporting the students' strike by holding classes and even exams in the open air," said the JNUSU statement.