New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students on Wednesday staged protests outside the Administrative Block, confining the top brass of the university inside their offices.
Demanding a conclusive response on the whereabouts of a missing student Najeeb Ahmed, all student political parties, except Akhil Bhartiya Vidya Parishad (ABVP), participated in the blockade and vented out their anger at the university officials.
Apart from Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar, Rectors one and two and Registrar of the university were said to be confined inside the building.
The besieged Vice-Chancellor appealed to the protesting students to let them out of the building and discuss the matter.
"We appeal to the students who have physically confined us to stop this and come for discussion. Let us discuss and resolve," Kumar tweeted from inside the building while students remained gathered outside.
"Since the students did not let us go home in spite our appeal, we have no other option but be confined to the admin building," Kumar also tweeted.
However, students have denied keeping anyone hostage and said that they were just protesting outside the building and anyone is allowed to come and go.
JNU Students' Union president Mohit Pandey denounced all claims of keeping officials as hostages and said, "We are only lying outside the building, if anyone wants he can go out over our bodies."
The protests started outside the Administrative Block at 2 pm and grew more intense as the day wore off.
"By 3:30 pm, employees started coming out of the building on some pretext or the other even when we had no such intention to lay a siege there. We are only demanding a proper response from the V-C about what action the university is taking in finding Najeeb," Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students' Association (BAPSA) president Bhupali Magare told IANS.
She said students from all political parties, including NSUI, AISA, SFI, DSU protested outside the building and there is no hostage situation.
However, an ABVP leader said that the officials were confined inside the building and the protesting students were on the verge of getting violent.
"They (protesters) have stooped very low that they are indulging in such cheap politics. They have kept all the entry points blocked of the building since 7 pm. When the Proctor came to assuage them they got violent and made him run away," Saurabh Sharma of ABVP told IANS.
Here is what the VC tweeted:
An appeal to JNU Students from JNU Administration. pic.twitter.com/2rra9DFO3h
— M. Jagadesh Kumar (@mamidala90) October 19, 2016
We appealed to JNU students to stop this physical confinement of university officials but with no result.
— M. Jagadesh Kumar (@mamidala90) October 19, 2016
Since the students did not let us go home inspite our appeal, we have no other option but be confined to the admin building.
— M. Jagadesh Kumar (@mamidala90) October 19, 2016
We appeal to the students who have physically confined us to stop this and come for discussion. Let us discuss and resolve.
— M. Jagadesh Kumar (@mamidala90) October 19, 2016
Students are still blocking all the exit points of admin building. Few persons need medication and are feeling week.
— M. Jagadesh Kumar (@mamidala90) October 19, 2016
I appeal to the agitating JNU students to please come to the table for discussion. Our first concern should be to locate missing student.
— M. Jagadesh Kumar (@mamidala90) October 19, 2016
We met JNUSU leaders explained to them our sincere efforts in locating the missing. No relenting. It is 2 am. We are still confined.
— M. Jagadesh Kumar (@mamidala90) October 19, 2016
Agitating JNU students should realize it is wrong to physically confine their own teachers like this. This will only affect our JNU.
— M. Jagadesh Kumar (@mamidala90) October 19, 2016
We tried to go out of admin building @ 2.20am. Agitating JNU Students did not let us go out.
— M. Jagadesh Kumar (@mamidala90) October 19, 2016
A student named Najeeb Ahmed had gone missing on the night of October 14 from the university hostel Mahi-Mandvi after a brawl with a few ABVP students. Since then a police complaint has been filed under IPC Section 365 and a Proctorial inquiry has been initiated by the University.
"This is not a small issue, but a part of a bigger conspiracy. No-one would go missing like this leaving even his phone behind. It's been five days now but there's no news of him," Rahul Sonpimple of BAPSA told IANS.
On October 18, the V-C had also met the parents of Ahmed and had apprised them of all that they were doing to find him.
(With IANS inputs)
