CPI's Binoy Viswam writes to HRD Minister, demands JNU VC's removal

Communist Party of India (CPI) lawmaker Binoy Viswam has written to HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal, demanding the removal of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Vice-Chancellor (VC) M Jagadesh Kumar in the wake of recent violence at the varsity.

"As the most pressing need of the hour, I urge you to remove Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar from the post of Vice-Chancellor and include Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union and Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers Association in discussions on the future of the university," Viswam said in his letter on Thursday.

He alleged that "incompetency and abysmal state of the university administration led by the Vice-Chancellor" and his abetment of outside elements to enter the campus hostels and attack students, teachers and staff called for his immediate removal.

Viswam also alleged that the VC has been directly "against the ethos of the university" since the start of his term and his "inability to perform his duties" cannot be further ignored.

As JNUSU on Thursday took out a march to protest against the violence in the campus, he said: "Students of JNU and citizens of this country were yet again injured at the hands of the Delhi Police in central Delhi while conducting a peaceful protest."

During the protest march, police had detained protesters near Ambedkar Bhawan while they were marching towards Rashtrapati Bhavan. A protester was injured during the march towards Rashtrapati Bhavan.

On January 5, more than 30 students of the university, including JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh, were injured and taken to the AIIMS Trauma Centre after a masked mob entered the varsity and attacked them and professors with sticks and rods.

( With inputs from ANI )