JNUSU defies registrar's warning, says offer for sheltering Delhi violence victims stands

Warned by the JNU registrar against providing shelter to the Delhi violence victims on the varsity campus, the JNUSU remained defiant on Saturday, saying humanity supersedes "administrative threats".

The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) also said the varsity will always remain open for sheltering the "victims of state oppression".

In a notice issued on Friday, JNU Registrar Pramod Kumar had warned of disciplinary action against students found involved in efforts to provide shelter to the victims of the violence, which claimed at least 42 lives and left over 200 injured.

"JNU was open for shelter in 1984, it shall remain open for shelter today. It shall always remain open for sheltering the victims of state oppression," the JNUSU said in a tweet.

"The JNU administration has threatened us with disciplinary action if we provide shelter to those who have lost everything in the #DelhiGenocide2020. Nevertheless, we reiterate, JNU is a safe shelter for the victims of this pogrom. Humanity supercedes (supersedes) administrative threats," it said.

Meanwhile, JNU Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar said the students can collect items from the JNU community to distribute them among the affected people and the varsity administration will support them.

"We all want peace and harmony in Delhi. People need to be provided help," he said.

"Some students of JNU gave a call that JNU is open for sheltering outsiders. It is the same students who (had) said that outsiders were responsible for the incidents that happened in the campus last month," he added, referring to the attack on JNU students by an armed mob on January 5.

Kumar said the safety and security of the students is the utmost priority of the university administration.