Havan in hostel: JNU teachers' body seeks 'security' for

The teachers' body of Jawaharlal Nehru University has come out against what it claimed was an "attempt at communal polarisation" over an incident in which a warden of a campus hostel stopped a prayer ceremony by a group of students midway over fire safety concerns.
Alleging that the warden in question was being "targeted", the teachers' association sought that the JNU administration provide "legal protection and security to the warden".
A group of JNU students had last week approached police alleging that they were not allowed to perform a prayer ceremony inside Jhelum hostel due to "politically motivated" reasons, a charge denied by the hostel wardens.

The students had also written to the JNU Vice Chancellor alleging that the hostel warden had last Saturday asked them to disperse from the room where they were performing a havan.
The warden, Burton Cleetus, however, claimed that it was fire safety concerns which had forced his decision.
"The JNU Teachers Association (JNUTA) yesterday met and unanimously condemned this attempt at communal polarisation and demanded from the JNU administration that it must give legal protection and security to the warden.

"However, it cannot be only the administration to whom we entrust maintenance of campus harmony," said Ayesha Kidwai, a JNU professor.

Kidwai also alleged that "the warden was questioned by police and told that the complaint against him could amount to charges of hurting religious sentiments, sexual harassment and the Prevention of Atrocities Act."
"What kind of students does JNU administration want? The
boot-licking, opportunist, pro-establishment, pro-administration types, who will stand against their own fraternity, in the hope of being favoured by the government of the day?," JNUSU Vice President Shehla Rashid Shora said.
The ABVP members who are sitting on a separate strike, are agitating demanding withdrawal of penalty on Saurabh Kumar Sharma who was complainant of the event.
Sharma, who is the lone ABVP member in JNU students union has been slapped with a penalty of Rs 10,000 for blocking traffic.

The ABVP is alleging that the university has equated "nationalists" and "anti-nationals" while deciding the punishments and has set a bad precedent by criminalising "patriotism".
The university officials reiterated their stand that the decision was made after thorough investigation by the probe panel and are in accordance with varsity norms.