Ramdev likely to skip JNU visit amidst students protest, university stands by invitation

Yoga guru Ramdev on Monday indicated that he would skip his visit to Jawaharlal Nehru University where he was invited to deliver a keynote address even as the varsity rejected demand of a student group to withdraw the invitation.

"Me or my office has not confirmed for any talk or event at JNU. I would have surely gone to JNU if time allowed to have candid, scientific & logical discussion, even with my ideological adversaries. I will love to talk to students & faculty at JNU, whenever its possible in near future," he said in a series of tweets. While the varsity administration maintained that it has not heard of any denial or acceptance of the invitation from Ramdev, it clarified that it stands by the invitation.

"The invitation to Ramdev was extended due to the quality work he has done in the field of Yoga. The administration has no agenda to support any political affiliations. Students have a right to register their protest but we stand by the invite extended to him," said JNU Professor G N Jha, member of the organising committee. Terming the move a "silent right-wing onslaught" on the university , Jawaharlal Nehru Students Union (JNUSU) had yesterday demanded that the authorities withdraw their invitation to the yoga guru to attend the '22nd International Congress of Vedanta' or face protests.

The three-day convention-- organised by the university's Special Center for Sanskrit Studies in collaboration with the Institute of Advanced Sciences, Dartmouth, USA and the Center for Indic Studies, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth -- began here on December 27. Ramdev has been invited to deliver the key-note address on December 30.