Why isn't Bollywood rallying for students deprived of right to research: JNU VC

Deepika Padukone visits JNU campus as students protest against violence by masked miscreants which had left many injured. (Image: ANI)

Amid calls for his resignation over the January 5 violence that ravaged JNU, Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar asked as to why celebrities are not rallying in support of the students, who are being deprived of their right to research.

“I would like to ask all those great personalities coming to support agitators, what about thousands of students and teachers who are deprived of their rights of doing research and teaching? Why can't you stand with them?” Kumar was quoted by India Today  as saying.

He alleged that members of JNUSU have hindered the registration process for the new semester by blocking the way to the admissions office, pushing for a rollback of the recently announced fee hike and new hostel manual.

Kumar's remarks came a day after Deepika Padukone visited JNU in Delhi to extend her support to the students, who were attacked by a masked mob inside the varsity campus.

Other eminent Bollywood personalities who have joined protests against the attacks on JNU students are directors Anurag Kashyap, Vishal Bhardwaj, and Zoya Akhtar and actors Swara Bhasker, Taapsee Pannu, and Richa Chadha among others.

Read Also: Support for students, teachers pours in from Hindi film fraternity

On the evening of January 5, a group of masked youths brandishing staffs and iron rods stormed into the varsity, vandalising three hostels and attacking teachers and students alike. Among those injured were JNU students’ union (JNUSU) president Aishe Ghosh and professor Sucharita Sen.

While the SFI, the Left-wing student party, has blamed members of RSS-backed ABVP (Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad) for the attacks, the latter has junked all allegations and accused Ghosh’s party of staging the violence.

Read Also: ABVP Delhi Joint Secy admits on TV that members were armed with acid, rods, pepper spray

Meanwhile, VC Kumar has stated that the January 5 violence was a retaliatory attack after similar vandalism was carried out by JNUSU members in another hostel inside the campus the day before.

The varsity authorities have also alleged that the student agitations have paralysed the education system at JNU, keeping scholars from conducting researches.