New Delhi, Mar 3 (PTI) A Supreme Court lawyer has claimed that St Stephen’s College cancelled an invite to him for an interactive session at a leadership conclave after a group of students objected to it.
The Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) criticised the move on Thursday, terming it an “attack on academic freedom”.
College principal John Varghese did not respond to requests for comment by PTI.
Taking to Twitter, the lawyer, J Sai Deepak, claimed he was supposed to speak at an interactive session at St Stephen’s Leadership Conclave from February 24-27. However, hours before the event, his invitation was cancelled following opposition from the students of the college’s Gender Studies Cell.
The Gender Studies Cell issued a statement opposing the invite to Deepak and termed him an “Islamophobic” for his views on the hijab controversy.
“I received a call from students of the Leadership Cell a few hours before the event that some students had objected to my (me) being invited. I was informed that I would get a mail citing logistical reasons for the cancellation of the event, which I am yet to get,” Deepak said in a series of tweets on Saturday.
Reacting to Deepak’s allegations, the DUSU said that the cancellation of the event at St Stephen’s College is just the “continuation and imposition of the hegemonic culture”.
“DUSU strongly condemns the attack on the academic freedom of students and the intolerant atmosphere created in St Stephen’s College,” the DUSU said in a statement.
It said Delhi University has always stood up against intolerant and oppressive forces, be it during the freedom struggle or the Emergency period.
The student body urged Varghese to look into the matter and call for an impartial inquiry.
“We also call upon the student community of Delhi University to introspect and stand against this culture of blatant labelling, characterisation and cancellation. We must #cancelthecancelculture,” the statement said. PTI VA GJS GJS DIV DIV
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Source: The Print
