New Delhi: The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers' Association (JNUTA) has written an open letter to President Droupadi Murmu, in her capacity as the Visitor of the university, seeking the removal of Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit.
In the letter dated September 1, the teachers alleged that the university is facing a "crisis of governance" and accused the Vice-Chancellor of "abuse of power" and "personal vendetta".
According to JNUTA, the Vice-Chancellor has steadily undermined statutory bodies, concentrated powers in her office, alleging that promotions, appointments, and even faculty housing allotments were being handled through a "pick and choose" policy, resulting in what they called a "carrot and stick" system to silence dissent.
The teachers' body also requested the annulment of the termination of Dr. Rohan V.H. Choudhari, a young faculty member from the Centre for Political Studies, whose dismissal they described as unlawful.
The letter described Dr. Choudhari's termination as "a flimsy pretext turned into a disciplinary ground long after the event," alleging it was meant to make an example of him. Teachers said the process violated statutory norms and natural justice.
The JNUTA said they had refrained from approaching the President earlier, despite growing concerns, because they were attempting to resolve issues internally. But the termination of a faculty member, they said, had crossed a "tipping point."
"Things have already gone too far and therefore there is no way that she can redeem herself in the eyes of the faculty,"* the letter said, urging the President to exercise her powers under the JNU Act to intervene.
The teachers also sought a personal meeting with the President to explain their position further.
