New Delhi: The JNU Students Union on Monday alleged that varsity Registrar Bhupinder Zutshi made a “false” statement before a probe panel that JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar and other student leaders had a meeting with him (Zutshi) on the day of controversial Afzal Guru event.
Zutshi had claimed, deposing before the high-power enquiry committee constituted by Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar, that Kanhaiya Kumar was against the authorities’ decision to cancel permission of the February 9 event during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.
The university issued a press statement today saying the, “Registrar had a meeting with three JNUSU representatives – Kanhaiya Kumar, Rama Naga and Saurabh Sharma (ABVP) on February 9 for discussion on route for newly acquired bus for physically challenged students of JNU”.
Zutshi has made the same statement before the probe panel inquiring into an event on campus against hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.
The students union, however, claimed that Zutshi’s statement was “false and no such meeting took place.”
“We want to condemn the false statements made by JNU Registrar. I have checked with other JNUSU office-bearers. There was no such meeting of Zutshi with JNUSU President and General Secretary, on February 9 as described by him in his statements. The other office-bearers did not even meet one another, let alone meeting the Registrar together,” JNUSU Vice President Shehla Rashid Shora said in a statement.
Zutshi, is also under criticism from a section of students and teachers for allegedly mishandling the issue.
Meanwhile, the students union is holding a council meeting tonight to discuss the “onslaught on JNU and future course of action”.
The meeting has been called by general secretary Rama Naga, who is among the six students whose role in the February 9 event is being probed.
“Fight for justice for Rohith Vemula and installation of portrait of poet Vidrohi in JNUSU office and Vidrohi Bhawan,” are the two other agendas for the meeting.
However, Saurabh Sharma, joint secretary JNUSU and the only ABVP member in the union, said that Rama Naga has no authority to call a council meeting in the face of charges and discrepancies he is facing.
“The council meeting has been called by Rama Naga the general secretary of the JNUSU. Naga is facing sedition charges and has also been debarred from JNU in addition to facing proctorial enquiry. After the February 9 incident he was absconding and surfaced on the February 21 He has no authority to call a council meeting,” he said.
Saurabh also said ABVP is demanding resignation of Kanhaiya, Naga and Shehla.
“We are also demanding that the president, vice president and general secretary should resign on moral ground because they maligned the JNU and participated in Anti national activities,” Sharma said.
PTI