Delhi’s JNU sets hearing for student union in library protest case

JNU summons student union president Nitish Kumar for alleged vandalism and intimidation during protests against new library access gates.

New Delhi

The JNUSU labelled it an “unjust enquiry” and called for a protest on Tuesday. (Representative photo)

The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration issued a proctorial notice to Jawaharlal Nehru University student union’s (JNUSU) president, Nitish Kumar, and several others on September 10, summoning them to a hearing over allegations of vandalism and intimidation during protests last month.

The protests were held against new biometric access gates to the central library. The JNUSU labelled it an “unjust enquiry” and called for a protest on Tuesday.

The notice from the JNU proctor’s office, accessed by HT, reads, “You are alleged to have been involved in a protest in front of the main gate of the Dr B R Ambedkar Central Library, where you disrupted official work and threatened library staff on 20th August 2025.”

This dispute began when derogatory casteist slurs were scribbled on a library desk. The JNUSU had demanded a probe and the strictest punishment, calling it a “despicable show of casteism.” The university subsequently barred two former students from campus and decided to install a facial recognition system for security.

The JNU administration did not respond to requests for comment.

It said that on August 22, Kumar was involved in “breaking the library’s main glass door and manhandling staff.”

The notice directed him to appear before the Proctorial Committee at 2.30pm on September 18, adding that a failure to attend will be taken as an admission of guilt.

In a complaint, acting librarian Manorama Tripathi, alleged that the library was installing the new gates as per procedure, but that a student group led by Kumar had obstructed the work and threatened to damage the equipment.

A security report noted that on August 22, Kumar and another student broke the glass gate, injuring themselves in the process, before raising slogans and forcing open an inner gate. The report names several students.

Munteha Fatima, general secretary JNUSU confirmed the notice and said that three Left-backed JNUSU members were served notice on Wednesday . “Apart from us three, few other students have also received the notice,” she said.