New Delhi: Delhi University on Friday suspended Deepika Jha, Joint Secretary of the Delhi University Students' Union and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) leader, for two months. The university’s action comes after a controversy at Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar College, in which Jha was accused of slapping a professor.
During the suspension period, she will not be allowed to enter any DU campus as a student leader and will only be able to attend her academic classes. The action comes almost a month after the assault.
Jha allegedly slapped Professor Sujit Kumar, a member of the college faculty and convener of its disciplinary committee, during a meeting in the principal’s cabin.
Although the inquiry committee suggested a three-month suspension, the university administration decided to review her conduct after two months.
Following the alleged assault, Professor Kumar resigned from the disciplinary committee. Several faculty members demanded a university-level investigation, calling the incident a serious violation of discipline. A video of the assualt had also surfaced and had gone viral.
Jha had also issued a public apology “to the entire teaching community” after the incident but simultaneously accused Professor Kumar of misbehaving with her, a claim Kumar has denied.
She said she was called to the campus by students who claimed they were facing “politically motivated abuse and assault.” Jha further alleged that in the Principal’s office, “in the presence of police, Professor Sujit threatened and abused me,” and that her complaint to the authorities was ignored. A purported video suggests police personnel were present during the incident.
ABVP Press Release On The Incident
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, (ABVP) the student wing of the RSS, released a statement condemning violence against teachers and reaffirming its commitment to respecting educators. ABVP stated that the incident was a momentary reaction to alleged misconduct by the professor, who had previously harassed students and engaged in indiscipline on campus. The organisation demanded a strict disciplinary inquiry against Kumar for his alleged actions, including politically motivated harassment and alcohol consumption on college premises.
