New Delhi: Agitating students of Patiala’s Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (RGNUL) are locked in a fresh stalemate with their vice-chancellor Jai Shankar Singh, who has ruled out his resignation over the alleged inspection of girls’ hostel without prior notice.
While protests are on for the past two weeks demanding the V-C’s ouster, the students began a hunger strike, ‘Fast for Freedom and Privacy’, on 6 October.
“Hunger strike was never on our mind when we had started this protest, but we had to send a clear message that we deeply care about the cause, and as lawyers, we shall achieve it peacefully and lawfully,” one of the agitating students told ThePrint.
The students have been firm on their demand of Singh’s ouster as they accuse the V-C of “inappropriate and sexist behaviour” for “infringing on privacy” of the girls’ rooms without prior notice or consent, on 22 September.
The RGNUL vice-chancellor, however, categorically ruled out his resignation. “The Opposition keeps asking for PM Modi’s resignation, does he resign? I can’t resign just like that. The chancellor, who is the chief justice himself, has not asked me to resign so why will I? Their (students) demands are changing everyday,” he told ThePrint.
“I am ready to accept any demand of the students. If there is any problem with the students’ internet connection or any other issue, we will solve it. These are all fake news that are being published in the newspapers,” Singh added.
On 27 September, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had reached out to the protesting students and assured them that “he is on their side”.
In a related development, the vice-chancellor contacted a fourth-year student Sunday to inform “some girls and boys” to reach his residence for talks, but the students refused and urged him to meet them at the protest site outside the administration block.
“I invited five girls along with the boys in the middle of the day to talk, but they called me to the protest site instead where hundreds of them are sitting. It won’t be possible to have a proper discussion,” Singh told ThePrint.
The V-C also clarified that he did not appoint any members of the committee formed to look into the dispute. The members, he added, were chosen by the chancellor under whose directive the panel was formed.
Initially a two-member external committee was set up to “mediate the campus dispute,” but it has since expanded to five members, after students, concerned about the V-C’s “involvement” in the selection process, proposed members of their own.
The V-C said his visit to the hostel was in the presence of a female warden to address issues raised by students. “They had concerns about facilities like tables, chairs, and cupboards, so I went for an inspection,” he stated.
But, the agitating students have alleged that the V-C also visited the third-year hostel, which had not lodged any complaint so far.
In response, the V-C said, “Some girls had requested to stay with their friends, so I asked the warden to show me the double rooms for inspection.”
“Some media outlets have been reporting that I visit the hostel every night for inspections. If that were true, they could have locked me up, beaten me, and called the police,” Singh added.
“The dean, professors, and I have all visited the hostel on many occasions for celebrations like Janmashtami, always by invitation and without any problem. This time, however, they’ve made an issue out of it,” the RGNUL vice-chancellor told ThePrint.
(Edited by Tony Rai)