‘VC’s ploy to destroy’: JNUSU slams office-bearers' suspension; calls move ‘attack’ on student body

In an unprecedented move, the Jawaharlal Nehru University administration has rusticated all the JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) office-bearers, including the former JNUSU president, sparking allegations of political vendetta and raising concerns about academic freedom at one of India's premier institutions. The students’ body has condemned the move, calling it the most “heinous and dastardly attacks” on the JNUSU.

The move comes after the students protested against the Facial Recognition Technology (FTR) at the B R Ambedkar Central Library of JNU on November 21, 2025.

According to the official JNUSU statement, on multiple occasions, the administration had offered verbal assurances that they would not install FTR arrangements after the previous JNUSU staged protests in front of the library gate.

However, the admin installed FTR once again, during the JNU elections in November 2025, violating their commitments, the JNUSU statement alleged.

“In the disciplinary order, the administration has alleged that the student representatives damaged public property. This is a complete lie,” the statement adds.

JNUSU highlights ‘violent’ instances

The JNUSU statement added that there were multiple instances where ABVP, another student body, damaged property, causing “life-threatening situations” for students, teachers, and officials, and they were not punished for the violence.

However, JNUSU is being punished for “resisting surveillance.” A few instances listed by JNUSU are given below.

ABVP member Saurav Sharma had “thrashed” the entire DoS office with flowerpots during 2016–17 and was later rewarded with a faculty post in the university. In 2022, a set of “miscreants” ransacked the JNU admin block, and no action has been taken against them to date.

“The memory of the rampage that the ABVP carried out on 5 January 2020 is still fresh in our minds. The gates of Sabarmati Hostel bore the brunt of their violence for years. Om Sinha, an ABVP member and the then president of ABVP SLL&CS, created havoc during the school GBM of SLL&CS in November 2025,” the official JNUSU statement adds.

JNUSU: VC's ploy to destroy

The student body further called JNU’s vice-chancellor the “biggest culprit” in damaging the university, to fulfill her “political agenda.”

“This selective amnesia of the JNU administration is a telling manifestation of the culture of political vendetta that has been inculcated ever since Mamidala assumed the office of Vice-Chancellor in 2016,” the official JNUSU statement said.

As per the official JNUSU statement, a few days ago, based on an "unverified video", several media houses ran a trial alleging that slogans were raised against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Home Minister Amit Shah. JNU administration tried to threaten JNUSU office-bearers and councillors with police action.

“We were appalled by the complete silence of these same media houses when similar slogans were raised by Brahminical forces in front of the UGC while protesting against UGC guidelines meant to address caste atrocities on campuses,” the JNUSU statement said.

JNU rusticates five PhD students

As per reports, JNU has rusticated five PhD students, including four JNUSU official bearers, for vandalising FTR at the library access gates. JNU’s inquiry letters stated that the group "forcibly pulled out the cameras and camera stands installed on the machines," ignoring the requests for security personnel to stop.

JNU’s proctorial office has also imposed fines on other students, including Chandan, Arjun, Antariksh, and Daud, the JNUSU statement added.