JNU student summoned over controversial social media post

NEW DELHI: JNU authorities have summoned a Left student leader over a social media post, triggering allegations of a "repressive Victorian era" type of functioning - where administration call kids into their office (without cell phones) for a spanking.

"Probably, the first notice anyone has received for posting on social media," student tweeted.

Shehla Rashid, a leader of the CPIML-Liberation-backed All India Students Association, has been asked to depose before chief proctor Kaushal Kumar next Tuesday.

The summons says that a complaint against her has been received for "claiming on social media (Twitter) regarding content blocking on the JNU campus Wi-Fi".

Shehla had tweeted a video of the blocking titled "JNU wifi censorship" after several students had complained of restrictions on YouTube searches of opposition leaders and a few news publications on the varsity's Wi-Fi last month.

Shehla tweeted a picture of the notice on Thursday, saying: "My university administration lives in some kind of repressive Victorian era. JNU Administration's attempt to clamp down on my freedom of expression is part of a larger directive from BJP IT Cell to target my Internet presence." Kumar did not respond to calls and a message asking which rule she has violated.

Student union general secretary D Srikrishna protested phone calls to OBC students asking for the names of their communities.

"The administration has all student information recorded at the time of admissions," he said. University Grants Commission (UGC) Secretary PK Thakur told media that this data is needed by the Commission to Examine Sub Categorization of other Backward Classes.

"As there are claims and counter claims on which communities within the 267 per cent OBC quota are most backward, this data is being collected," he explained.