JNU teachers condemn JNUTA, Leftist students

A group of JNU teachers on Sunday came in support of their peer who had found his car's windshield broken after he addressed a memorial meeting organised for the 25 CRPF soldiers killed by Maoists in Sukma of Chhattisgarh last Monday.

The teachers condemned those who committed vandalism and also the Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers Association (JNUTA) for failing to come forward and denounce the act.

"We are not taking any names as to who did it. But it was certainly members of the Left parties who had opposed the meet and then raised the issue of our approaching police. They are giving themselves away," Assistant Professor Buddha Singh, who found his car's windshield broken on Saturday morning -- the very next day of the memorial meeting, told media.

He wondered why these students (those associated with Left parties) marched behind those who talk about 'azaadi' (freedom) of Kashmir and Bastar, "but shy away from attending a meeting which commemorates our soldiers".

Another teacher Atul Johari said that they did not know who broke the windshield and an investigation was on.

"We will also demand CCTV cameras on the campus -- a process which was stalled so that such acts do not get captured," Johari, a Professor in the Department of Life Sciences, said.

The faculty members, who addressed the media, also targeted the JNUTA for keeping silent on the issue.

"The JNUTA is full of anarchists. They lose no time in issuing a denunciation when certain acts or people are involved... I have been part of JNU for 25 years. I have lived in fear... and even now, when (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi is in power. Imagine what will happen when he's gone," Ashwini K Mohapatra, a Professor and Chairman of the Centre for West Asian Studies, told IANS.

Mohit Pandey, President of JNU Students Union, which consists of only Left parties, earlier rubbished the entire incident as "fake news" designed to act as "red herring" to take pressure off the government for the killing of soldiers.

"This is a fake attempt again to malign JNU... whatever wrong is there must be brought forth. But we will not allow RSS machinery to malign the name of JNU," Pandey had said.

The memorial meeting was held at Sabarmati Dhaba inside the campus on Friday and went on till late in the evening.

--IANS

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