JNUSU refuses to attend meeting without President

The JNU Students' Union on Friday refused to attend a meeting called by the university officials unless its President, who has been denied registration for the current semester for not paying some fines, is allowed to join the talks.

The Jawaharlal Nehru University officials had called the meeting to discuss issues related to the student community.

The officials said that four office-bearers of the union did turn up at the gate but insisted on the entry of the JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) President Mohit Pandey.

"The security guards at the entrance of the Administrative Building informed that the invitees did turn up at the entrance gate but refused to participate in the discussion on the basis of the argument that one of the office-bearers did not get the invitation," a statement from the university said.

"The fact remains that only three out of four JNUSU office-bearers are registered students of JNU as of date."

The JNUSU said the debarring of one of its members from attending the meeting was "shallow tactics". It presented the JNU Vice Chancellor with a "charter of demands", which included lifting of the ban on three JNUSU members from attending statutory meetings.

The ban was imposed by the administration on JNUSU President Mohit Pandey, General Secretary Satarupa Chakraborty, and Joint Secretary Tabrez Hasan on the charge of hampering the proceedings of an Academic Council meeting in June. Only Vice President Amal P.P. has not been barred.

"It is our duty and right to represent students' voice at every level. JNUSU will not allow any highhandedness of JNU administration to curtail students' voice... Any meeting with JNU administration will only happen when it stops its extremely shallow tactics of stopping JNUSU office-bearer(s) from attending meeting," the JNUSU said in the letter submitted.

Saddled with several inquiries and an FIR, Pandey is required by the administration to pay various fines amounting to Rs 10,000-20,000. The last date to register for the semester was on Wednesday.

A student of JNU for the last three and a half years, Pandey has refused to pay fines, alleging that the inquiries are biased and in some cases he was punished even before the inquiry started.

-- IANS

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