SFI stages protests over expulsion of AUD students outside chancellor's residence

The student group Students' Federation of India (SFI) staged a protest outside the residence of Delhi's Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, who is also the chancellor of the BR Ambedkar University (AUD), demanding action against the expulsion of five students from the university.

According to an official statement from the left-affiliated student body, Sharanya, AUD Student Council Treasurer, Shubhojeet, AUD Student Council Councillor, and Shefali, SFI Delhi State Committee member, were expelled, including Ajay and Keerthana, who were debarred from re-admission.

Earlier, another student, Nadia, who was pursuing her master's and also an SFI member, received an expulsion notice.

One of the expelled students, Shefali, said: "Three students from SFI had exposed a case of cyber-bullying in the Karampura campus of AUD in February, following which they had been suspended for a year. In April, a lot of SFI activists had called an indefinite hunger strike in the Kashmere Gate campus regarding the same."

AUD: Students spoke of ragging instances

According to Shubhojeet AUDSC councillor who has been a PhD scholar, said that five of them were originally suspended for speaking against an instance of ragging, which had almost led to the suicide of a student of AUD.

"The administration proceeded to take alarmingly unreasonable action against us who were merely seeking help from the institution to adequately redress the situation," Shubhojeet said.

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AUD received Delhi HC orders

According to the official SFI statement, Sharanya said that even though the Delhi HC ordered the university to conduct a hearing, the administration continued using 'disproportionate mob justice.' "In the course of seeking justice, women students have had to face physical beatings and groping at the hands of the administration," she added.

Notably, a delegation comprising SFI Delhi president Sooraj Elamon, Achintya State committee member, and Shubhojeet submitted the memorandum stating all the demands of students.

"We will be approaching the high court again and file a petition for the reversal of this decision. We are also ready to approach the Supreme Court to defend the students' fundamental rights," he said.

Additionally, a university official said that pending the inquiry, the students had approached the high court. The court had directed the university to wrap up the internal inquiry and pronounce its decision by September 26. With inputs from PTI