After protests, Delhi University's Hindu College reconsidering students' suspension

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Delhi University's Hindu College is "reconsidering" its decision to suspend over 40 students with the administration "looking into" their applications on an "urgent basis", principal Anju Srivastava said on Friday.

Srivastava has alleged that the suspended students were involved in vandalising the college properties and carried out financial fraud. The North Campus college's suspension decision drew widespread criticism from the students, who staged several protests on the premises, with those served notices alleging partiality on the part of the institute.

"They (the students) have given us verbal apologies and written apologies. We will give students another chance to put forward their sides. We are open to discussion with them. I have asked the disciliplinary committee to look into each application separately on an urgent basis. The work has started. We will soon inform the students," Srivastava told PTI.

Hindu College served notices to more than 40 students and suspended around 25 students, citing, "gross misconduct and extremely inappropriate behaviour" during the protest. In addition to that 15 students have been served notice regarding "financial fraud or cheating" during the two-day event -- Mecca'23.
Along with the suspension, each student has been asked to submit Rs 10,000 as a fine and barred from taking up any position.

Students have alleged that before deciding to suspend them, neither any disciplinary committee was involved nor any investigation carried out. "The decision was taken by a disciplinary committee and the actions were not just against those who did protest but also involved in financial fraud. We have proofs and only after that we took the decision. The disciplinary committee took several days to come to a conclusion," the principal defended.

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When asked whether all the suspension will be revoked, the principal said, "I cannot say that right now but we are thoroughly checking again and reanalysing. We are considering the appeal of the students but yes we are giving them chance again to furnish apologies and tell us what they feel about" The strongly-worded notice asserted the "gross misconduct and extremely inappropriate" behaviour has brought "acute embarrassment and humiliation to the college, in general, and to the Principal".

It claimed that the college property has been damaged by your activity. The other notice that has been served for financial fraud mentions that a large group of stall vendors took out a protest in front of the principal's office, alleging "financial fraud or cheating done on them by the student organisers of the two-day event".

RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has requested the college to withdraw these notices. "The ABVP delegation has given a memorandum to the Hindu principal demanding that the decision to suspend and impose a monetary penalty on the students involved in the democratic protest be withdrawn," ABVP said.

Democratic protest and proper demand by students is not a crime, the student organisation added.

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