LSR protest not against any party, say students; principal says dialogue underway

Days after the protests broke out at Delhi University’s Lady Shri Ram (LSR) college, the students have issued a fresh statement, distancing their recent agitation from any political bias, even as the principal said discussions are ongoing to resolve the issue, a PTI report said.

On April 15, LSR college students protested against Kanika K Ahuja, principal over her appearance in a video, shared on the social media page of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as per the report.

“There were no protests today. Faculty members and the students have been engaged in dialogue all day. We hope to reach an amicable solution over the matter soon," Ahuja said in the report.

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LSR Students vs Principal

She further said that the video was recorded by the “Union Ministry of Women and Child Department” for a “Nari Vardan Sammela” on Women’s Reservation Bill, the report added.

She hoped that a common ground could be reached between the administration and students soon, it said.

Meanwhile, the LSR students, in their statement, said that they were not biased against any political party or ideology, and if members of the administration are allowed to express their views, so should the students, as per the report.

"The protest and discussions initiated by students are solely focused on addressing the inconsistency and hypocrisy within our institutional environment," the report said, citing statements by the students.

According to a student, PTI quoted, the principal’s actions were against the college diktats that sought to silence political views of students.

"We have always been told that our college is an apolitical space, and this has been imposed upon students in certain ways. The principal is free to express her opinions, but if she is representing the college, it becomes contradictory with what we have been told," the report stated.

In addition, some students have claimed that their parents had been called by the college administration, asking them to tell their children to stop protesting if they want to avoid disciplinary action, the Indian Express said in another report.