Najeeb case: Varsity admin, JNUSU tussle intensifies

Amid the indefinite sit-in by Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) in the campus, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration has blamed a section of student protesters of "maligning the image" of the university by "propagating false information" related to an incident leading to disappearance of Najeeb Ahmed.

Members of JNUSU have been protesting for the last four days at the varsity's administrative block protesting the university's decision to not allow protests over the missing student case.

"Despite all these steps, certain groups of students and the university's students union have been consistently spreading false information and making unfounded allegations against the administration.

"Outsiders are invited into the campus to participate in agitations aimed more against the administration and less on the need for all-out cooperation in the efforts made by the administration to locate Najeeb. Unnecessary politicisation of this incident has created hindrances for locating Najeeb and resolving the issue," the JNU administration said.

In a statement released on Thursday, the administration also said it has written several times to JNUSU to refrain from indulging in dharnas, sit-ins, loud protest marches, and offensive sloganeering in and around the administration building as per the university rules, but the JNUSU has "not desisted" from doing so.

"Due to the persistent defiance of protesters, the academic atmosphere and the administrative functioning of the university have been adversely affected," it said.

The administration has also earmarked alternative spaces for organising democratic and lawful protests, it added.

JNUSU president Mohit Pandey has rejected the allegation about the students, as a "bunch of lies" and instead posed few questions to the administration over the issue.

Pandey alleged that the vice-chancellor was hell-bent on "destroying the culture of JNU through his high-handedness".

He also accused him of not making public the proctorial report, which says that some "ABVP activists have been found guilty of hitting Najeeb."

The students are protesting against alleged inaction by the administration on the issue. Najeeb Ahmed, a first year MSc student, went missing from the campus on October 15 after he was allegedly assaulted by ABVP members during a hostel election campaign a night before.