The speakers collectively termed the crackdown an “anxious tactic” by a jittery administration aimed at stifling the rising tide of the social justice movement in campus!
Today, at Press club of India, Members of Parliament, faculty members and student representatives held a joint press conference today to condemn the JNU administration’s recent decision to rusticate the JNUSU Office Bearers and former President, Nitish.
The speakers collectively termed the crackdown an “anxious tactic” by a jittery administration aimed at stifling the rising tide of the social justice movement in campus!
Raja Ram Singh (MP, Lok Sabha) highlighted, “We have seen this tactic before, when the voices of the poor and the marginalized rise, the state responds with the ‘iron fist’ of administrative action. But they must realize that the office bearers of JNU are not just fighting for themselves but are fighting for the very soul of India’s democratic and secular education”
Dr. Manoj Jha (MP, Rajya Sabha), said “The university is a space for dialogue, not a fortress of surveillance. Targeting student leaders for defending social justice is a sign of institutional weakness, not strength. We will take this fight from the streets to the Parliament.”
Sashikanth Senthil (MP, Lok Sabha), “This is an assault on the autonomy of our public institutions. The administration is acting as a tool for political masters to ensure that marginalized voices remain unheard.”
Rajkumar Raut(MP, lok sabha), Emphasized that the struggle for education is inherently a struggle for the rights of the Dalits adivasis, muslims women and other marginalized groups, and it will be fought with all the might of the oppressed!
Dr. Uma Gupta (DU), highlighted, “What we are witnessing today is not just a disciplinary action, it is a declaration of war against the very idea of a public university. By rusticating student leaders, the regime is testing the waters for a complete administrative takeover. They want a campus where students don’t question and teachers don’t think, students and teachers will fight this together, on the streets and in the classrooms, until this culture of intimidation is dismantled”
Student activists expressed grave concern over the “climate of fear” being cultivated through exorbitant fines and punitive actions against students questioning library surveillance.
Aditi (President, JNUSU), said “The administration thinks rustication will break us. On the contrary, it has only solidified our resolve to fight the reversal of UGC equity regulations.
The administration calls our resistance ‘vandalism,’ but the real vandalism is the dismantling of the Constitution and the spirit of social justice. They have rusticatied us because we stood at the library gates against a surveillance system that treats students like suspects.
This crackdown is a panicked response to our demand for the Rohith Act. They want to ensure that as the Supreme Court stays the 2026 Equity Regulations, there is no Union left to organize. But my message is clear.We will lead this struggle from outside the gates if we must.”
