Security stepped up as JNU protest grows

New Delhi: Academic activity at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) was disrupted on Monday after students affiliated with the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) intensified their ongoing agitation, leading to the reported lockdown of the School of Languages (SL-1). Protesters claimed that students joined the movement in large numbers, signalling what they described as a campus-wide assertion of collective dissent.

According to student representatives, the protest is part of a broader campaign against recent administrative decisions and disciplinary actions that they allege are “anti-student” in nature. Demonstrators gathered at key campus points before marching towards administrative blocks, raising slogans and calling for the revocation of rustication orders and greater transparency in decision-making.

Eyewitnesses said that entry and exit points of SL-1 were restricted for several hours as protesters urged fellow students to participate in the movement. While JNUSU leaders maintained that the mobilisation was peaceful and democratic, some students expressed concern over the disruption of classes and access to study spaces. The university administration, in a brief communication, appealed for calm and stated that academic functioning should not be obstructed. Officials indicated that dialogue remains open but emphasised that locking academic buildings violates university norms. Security personnel were deployed in sensitive areas to prevent escalation.

Student groups traded charges over disruption as protests entered a new phase at JNU, testing negotiations, with many urging dialogue to restore normalcy.