JNU Students Protest Alleged Removal of Ambedkar Portrait from Hostel
University denies removal claim, says portrait was shifted as tensions rise on campus
Students at Jawaharlal Nehru University staged a protest on Tuesday after alleging that a portrait of B. R. Ambedkar was removed from a hostel premises shortly after being installed.
According to the Tapti Hostel Committee, the portrait had been put up on April 14 to mark Ambedkar Jayanti. The group claimed that the hostel warden removed the portrait twice and kept it locked inside her office, calling the act “deeply shameful.”
In their statement, the committee demanded that the portrait be immediately returned and reinstalled in the hostel mess. They also called for an apology from the authorities, describing the incident as unacceptable.
The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union also criticised the alleged action. The union said the incident pointed to a larger issue of caste insensitivity on campus.
University officials, however, denied that the portrait had been removed. They clarified that it was only relocated to the hostel committee room and dismissed claims of any wrongdoing.
The protest comes at a time when the campus is already facing tension. Recently, Vice Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit has been under scrutiny following allegations that she made caste related remarks during a podcast interview.