JNU orders probe into burning of PM effigy on Dussehra

“We have ordered an inquiry into the effigy burning incident and are examining the issue,” said JNU Vice Chancellor Jagadesh Kumar, whose picture was also put on the effigy set ablaze on Tuesday night.

The move comes nearly a week after the varsity ordered a proctorial inquiry into the burning of an effigy of the Gujarat government and ‘gau-<g data-gr-id="21">rakshak</g>’ (cow vigilantes) and issued show cause notices to the students concerned.

While Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed and heads of several other militant organisations were the faces of Ravana effigies burnt on Dussehra across the country, members of the Congress-affiliated National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) chose the visages of the Prime Minister and BJP chief Amit Shah to represent the demon king and burnt the effigy on Tuesday.

They claimed that it was a protest against the Centre’s “failure” to <g data-gr-id="19">honour</g> its promises and the “continuous attacks” on various educational institutions across the country.

While university officials maintained that no permission was sought for the event, the <g data-gr-id="22">organisers</g> claimed that effigy burning was a “routine” thing on the campus and it did not require any permission from the administration.

Besides Mr. Modi and Mr. Shah, the effigy had faces of Yoga guru Ramdev, Sadhvi Pragya, Nathuram Godse, Asaram Bapu and the Vice-Chancellor. The students also carried placards with the slogan, ‘Truth shall prevail over evil.’