JNU Library Case: All you need to know

A group of Students have forcefully occupied the JNU library, have been breaking COVID protocol, claims Universit

Ground Report | New Delhi: The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration in an official notice states that the BR Ambedkar library at the campus has been forcefully occupied by a group of students. “A group of students fight with the security staff, broke open the side glass door of BR Ambedkar Library, entered the main reading room of the building on June 8, and have occupied the space since then," claimed the University.

Delhi Police has registered an FIR against a group of 35-40 JNU students who purportedly broke into the Central Library and manhandled security guards. The library is currently closed to students due to the pandemic.

The incident took place on Tuesday around 10.40 am. According to the JNU Registrar, the students had occupied the library space and were not allow staff to carry out sanitisation. Hitting out at the move, the JNU students’ union demanded that the administration reopen the library and restart services at the earliest

Also Read: Cartoonist Manjul suspended from NEWS 18 after notice from Twitter

Police said the group had convened outside the library and protested in front of the gate. They asked the guards to open the gates, but were declined.

According to the FIR, the guards called a Quick Response Team to distribute the students who were trying to break into the property. “Students push security staff and started hitting the library gate with sticks. The glass section of the gate was damaged… The security staff resisted the attack and didn’t allow the students to enter from the three entrance gates. They (students) then found a small gate, broke the glass pane, and entered the library. The security staff removed the students from the library,” reads the FIR.

Police said the students continued protesting, pushing security staff, violated Covid rule by protesting, and also damaged the library gates. A case under sections of Prevention of Damage to Public Property.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, JNU Registrar Ravikesh had said: “This is to inform the JNU community that a group of students fight with security staff, broke open the side glass door of the BR Ambedkar Library, entered the main reading room of the building on June 8, 2021, and have occupied the space since then. They do not leave the library building even during the night. This has caused health risk for library staff and even other students live in the hostels.

2 percent drop in global ozone pollution due to lockdown

“It is underlined that the curfew imposed by the Delhi government is still in place and no new guidelines have yet been announced regarding resuming normal academic activities,” he said, adding that the Chief Proctor Office has been tasked with taking disciplinary action against these students as per university rules.

The JNUSU said in a statement, “The administration must withdraw the FIR, and focus on actual issues faced by the JNU community. We also extend our unity with students named in the FIR and demand that the JNU administration and Delhi Police immediately withdraw the false complaint."

You can connect with Ground Report on Facebook, Twitter, and Whatsapp, and mail us at [email protected] to send us your suggestions and writeups

.