: JNU students, who are sitting on hunger strike in protest against the punishments handed out to students for the controversial February 9 event on campus, screened a documentary on the Muzaffarnagar riots on Friday.
The screening was organised as a mark of protest against the new show-cause notices issued to two students — Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya.
The JNU administration, meanwhile, sent the report of the university probe panel to the Delhi Police’s anti-terrorism unit, Special Cell, which is probing the sedition case registered in connection with the event organised around the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.
Two groups of students are sitting on an indefinite hunger strike since Thursday in protest against the punishments announced for various students for their involvement in the event.
Fresh protests erupted after new show-cause notices were issued to Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, who are already facing rustication.
The duo has been asked to explain their position in connection with the screening of documentary ‘ Muzaffarngar abhi baqi ha i’, which was organised by a group of students last August. They have also been asked to appear before the Chief Proctor and bring evidence, if any, in their defence.
Questioning the administration’s action after over nine months since the event, the JNU Students Union (JNUSU) held a screening of the documentary on the 2013 riots at the administration block. The students also slammed the sharing of the five-member probe panel report with the police, based on which the decision regarding punishments was taken by the university.
“The Special Cell contacted us for a copy of the report and we have sent the same,” said a senior university official.
He, however, did not comment on the reasons behind the action being taken against the students after nine months.
Reacting to the notice, Umar Khalid said: “I have only one question to ask the JNU administration. It took you nine months to wake up from your slumber and realise this great ‘indiscipline’ on our part? Is it a simple coincidence that the authorities chose to send this notice to us, when we are already into a movement against witch-hunt of students?”
The agitating students said that they will continue their hunger strike till the punishments are revoked.
— PTI
