Violence of any kind in society should not be overlooked: Ambedkar University Delhi V-C amid unrest on campus

In her Republic Day speech, Lather had referred to the Ram Janmabhoomi movement as a 525-year-old issue, applauded the construction of the Ram Temple and called for Dr B R Ambedkar to be a recognised as a national figure instead of being seen only as a Dalit. It had drawn sharp criticism from student activists and some faculty members, who said it politicised an academic platform and undermined AUD’s ethos.

The unrest began in March after a final-year MA student was suspended for six months for allegedly criticising Lather’s speech in an email sent through AUD’s official internal system. The Proctorial Board, citing “indiscipline” and the use of “derogatory and disrespectful language against the Head of the Institution”, had suspended and barred the student from the campus.

“We found out about the student’s comments through an email that she had written,” Lather said.

“My only appeal to my students is to not distort anything I say. My comments on the Ram Janmabhoomi in my speech can be found in the video online. They should not be viewed with an agenda. AUD is a democratic space and all ideologies have a space on this campus. We do not punish students for sharing their views on campus as long it does not cross a line,” she added.

Lather further said, “Even in the case of the MA student, there is a certain policy and certain bodies take cognizance of actions by students on campus. The Proctorial Board had decided to take action against the student. I had intervened and later on written to the board to take a lenient view on the student’s case.”

In April, protests had intensified after associate professor Kaustav Banerjee was issued a show-cause notice for allegedly “inciting disorder” during a student-led demonstration. The notice accused him of delivering a “provocative speech” that disrupted order and prompted police intervention.

“Two issues had come up. First was the suspension of the MA student and the second was the protests that took place on campus in relation to an alleged suicide attempt at Karampura campus. They both happened one after the other. Violence of any kind in any society should not be overlooked,” Lather said.

The administration has since suspended several students after a protest in April allegedly turned confrontational.

Registrar Navlendra Kumar Singh had earlier told The Indian Express that demonstrators surrounded his vehicle, causing damage, and refused to disperse until they were allowed to meet the V-C. “We have filed a police complaint. The FIR is yet to be registered. The students want to meet the V-C, but the V-C is not ready, as their approach is aggressive. We are ready to address the issues, but there needs to be a proper way to have a conversation,” Singh said.

Lather defended the call to file a police complaint, saying that the move was to ensure safety on campus.

She added that disciplinary actions were the result of institutional processes, not ad hoc calls. “The university decides on actions; it is never a reaction. The Proctorial Board has patiently handled the students’ issues on this campus,” she said.

While Lather maintained that AUD upholds ideological plurality and due process, student groups alleged that the actions taken against them reflect an erosion of academic and democratic values.

The suspended student, who is affiliated with the All India Students’ Association (AISA), had earlier told The Indian Express, “The action taken by the administration is representative of a larger and sustained attack on the academic and democratic spirit of AUD.”