On JNU V-C’s ‘put the past behind’ advice to students, Chidambaram’s twist

On Tuesday, an under fire V-C appealed to the students to “make a new beginning” after masked goons ran riot on campus vandalising property and roughing up students and teachers.

Congress leader P Chidambaram urged the Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) M Jagadesh Kumar to follow his “put the past behind” exhortation to students and leave the institution as he is “past”.

JNU VC Mamidala Jagdish Kumar addressing media personnel at his office at JNU campus on Jan 7, 2010. (Photo Vipin Kumar/HT)

“The VC of JNU wants students to “put the past behind”. He should follow his advice. He is the past. He should leave JNU,” tweeted the Congress leader early on Wednesday morning.

On Tuesday, an under fire V-C appealed to the students to “make a new beginning” after masked goons ran riot on campus vandalising property and roughing up students and teachers.

“I would like to tell students that JNU campus is a secure place. I urge all students to come back to the campus. Let us put the past behind,” the vice chancellor said.

Later, interacting with reporters, Kumar said the campus had its own security.

“If there is a law-and-order situation, we do not rush to the police immediately. We see if our security can handle it, but when it goes out of hand, we definitely approach the police because we do not want any innocent people to be injured,” he said.

According to Kumar, the university administration followed the same protocol on Sunday, the day when a masked mob stormed the campus.

“When we saw that there is a possibility of aggressive behaviour among students we informed police,” he said. “There is a process of giving it in writing. With the help of our security, the situation was contained.” Students and teachers have also alleged that the vice-chancellor had not reached out to the students and teachers after the violence, but Kumar said “appropriate help” was being provided.

The same day, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said around 100 MPs will write a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind demanding sacking of the JNU vice-chancellor.

“Many members of Parliament, around 100 of them, have been contacted and they have decided to write a letter to the President, who is the the visitor to the university, demanding sacking of the VC,” Yechury said.