The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students’ union (JNUSU), in a statement released on Friday, alleged that the administration was attempting to “silence and threaten” student representatives, after Delhi Police issued inquiry notices to current and former office-bearers in connection with protests against new surveillance measures in the university library.
Officials of the university did not respond to queries on the matter.
Officials of the university did not respond to queries on the matter.
A senior police officer said notices were sent as part of the inquiry into the protests, after the JNU administration filed a complaint against their students. “The matter is still under enquiry. The investigating officer is coordinating with college students and college admin. We can’t share details as of now,” the officer said.
In the statement, JNUSU said the administration had filed an FIR against the union president Aditi, vice-president Gopika, general secretary Sunil, joint secretary Danish, and former president Nitish Kumar for “rejecting surveillance in JNU Library”. The union alleged this was “an attempt to silence and threaten JNUSU office bearers and student activists”.
The union said the central library was already in a “disastrous condition” due to fund cuts and administrative apathy, with long-pending student demands for more books, increased seating capacity and extended hours.
“Last year, in August, the administration surreptitiously installed these gates. Students rallying in large numbers…. forced the administration to dismantle these surveillance devices. The Librarian and other officials of the administration had committed that an independent committee, with students’ representation, would be formed before taking any future course of action regarding the magnetic gates in the library….Flouting their own commitments, these gates were reinstalled by the same administration at a time when the entire student community was engaged in the JNUSU elections that took place during November 2025,” JNUSU said.
The newly elected union protested the move, following which, JNUSU alleged, the administration issued proctorial notices and filed police complaints.