Raising slogans against the 2016 UGC notification that lead to a massive cut in seats at the Varsity, the students said that they wanted to question the minister about the notification, which might ruin the university.
Students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) disrupted the inauguration programme for the Varsity library on Friday, claiming that Prakash Javadekar, Union Human Resource Development Minister, who was supposed to be the guest of honour, did not turn up, "fearing the questions of students."
Raising slogans against the 2016 UGC notification that lead to a massive cut in seats at the Varsity, the students said that they wanted to question the minister about the notification, which might ruin the university.
The Varsity administration decided to rename its central library after BR Ambedkar, 'the architect of modern India', on the occasion of his 126th birth anniversary.
The JNU Student's Union said that they, however, welcomed the library being renamed after Ambedkar, "but question the ministry's decision of shutting the doors of JNU for hundreds of students. "Dr Ambedkar said 'educate, agitate, organise', but you are practising the mantra of 'exclude, alienate, oppress," said Mohit Pandey, President, JNUSU.
Javadekar, however, addressed the students through a video message saying, "Wherever you go and whatever career you pursue, always work for the poor."
Jagadesh Kumar, Vice Chancellor, JNU, said, "It was his suggestion to rename the library after Ambedkar."
He also announced that the Varsity was planning to start a school of engineering and school of management and entrepreneurship.
Meanwhile, the ABVP criticised the JNUSU for disrupting the event. "They do not respect the memory of Ambedkar and oppose the naming of the library after him," ABVP's Saurabh Sharma said.
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