AUD students rally behind prof facing action for protest speech

NEW DELHI: Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD) students on Monday gathered on the Karampura campus to express solidarity with associate professor Kaustav Banerjee, facing disciplinary action for allegedly “inciting disorder” during a student-led protest last month. According to a show-cause notice issued to him, Banerjee’s participation in a public meeting on March 24, where he allegedly delivered a “provocative speech”, led to indiscipline and disruption.

The notice claims that Banerjee’s speech “encouraged students to create indiscipline and nuisance, resulting in disorder, which compelled the university administration to seek the intervention of police”.

The student protesters raised slogans demanding immediate withdrawal of the show-cause notice and warned to launch an intensified agitation if the administration continued to target the students and the faculty.

The controversy erupted following a protest organised by the All India Students’ Association (AISA) against the administration’s decision to suspend Mantasha Irfan, a final-year MA student of the university.

Mantasha’s suspension was revoked last week.

In a statement issued on Monday, AISA said, “Professor Kaustav was served a show-cause notice for expressing his dissent against the suspension of his student, Mantasha Irfan, in a protest held on March 24.

“While Mantasha’s suspension was revoked after a two-week-long protest and an indefinite sit-in for more than 72 hours, professor Kaustav’s notice has not been withdrawn. Stop witch-hunting of progressive voices in AUD.”

Banerjee has been asked to submit his response within

45 days. With agency inputs