A section of students from NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad has expressed opposition to a proposal to invite Chief Justice of India Surya Kant as the chief guest to the university’s convocation.
In an email sent to the Vice-Chancellor, Registrar, and professors on July 23, the students cited their concerns stemming from the Supreme Court’s refusal to allow urgent listing of a plea regarding alleged police brutality against protesters during the ‘Chalo Sansad’ demonstration at Jantar Mantar on July 20.
The students stated that their concern is rooted in the values of constitutional rights, access to justice, and reasoned engagement with grievances that the university is expected to uphold. They felt that receiving their degrees from a dignitary whose recent public conduct appears dismissive of serious allegations of police brutality against protesting citizens would be at odds with these values.
The students also mentioned the CJI’s reported comments that the bench was not interested in watching videos when the lead counsel offered to show video evidence of the alleged police excesses during the protest. The peaceful march to the Parliament was called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and raised issues including the conduct of the NEET examination and reforms in National Test Agency.
The students requested the university to reconsider the choice of chief guest for the convocation and to consult the graduating batch before any final decision is communicated or an invitation is extended. However, as of Sunday, the students claimed to have not received any reply from the varsity administration to their email.
The university officials have not responded to comments sought on the matter, leaving the status of the proposal uncertain.
