Both Delhi University (DU) and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) have advised their students, faculties and staffs to steer clear of the demonstrations at Jantar Mantar for safety reasons and fear of facing legal actions. The advisories came amid the ongoing student protests in the national capital city following which there has been a political controversy regarding this decision after Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of it, alleging that universities are trying to stifle the students.
Delhi University took the initiative to release the advisory wherein it called upon its students not to indulge themselves in any “unlawful assemblies or demonstrations” at Jantar Mantar. It added that such kind of demonstrations is subject to the Supreme Court order and taking part in them would be an invitation to face legal consequences. DU said it also has apprehensions regarding the safety of the students participating in the demonstration and their academic and professional career.
One day later, JNU also followed DU in releasing a similar notice advising the students and faculty members as well as the staffs of the university not to take part in the demResponding vigorously to the advisories, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi expressed dissatisfaction about the decision taken by the universities, terming the notices as threats against students who were exercising their constitutional right to protest. In a post on his blog, he questioned the move by Delhi University, asking how it is possible for the institution to try and stop its students from voicing out their opinions.
This comes against a backdrop where Jantar Mantar has been at the receiving end of consistent student protests against the existing education system. While it is being defended by university authorities as being an effort to protect the students and to see that they comply with the rules of the land, political opposition and student bodies have questioned whether this does not curtail their democratic right to protest.
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