JNU cancels booking of auditorium for discussion on Umar Khalid’s book, tags PM, Amit Shah, Education Minister on X post

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has canceled a booking for an auditorium that was scheduled for a book discussion on Umar Khalid's book. The university cited "non-disclosure of the full facts" about the program as the reason for the cancellation. Umar Khalid, who is currently in jail without trial on UAPA charges, had his PhD thesis published this June as a book titled 'Fractured Communities: Adivasi Histories and the Politics of Power'.

The event, organized by the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU), was set to take place on August 10 from 3 pm to 6 pm. The university tagged several prominent political figures, including the Vice-President of India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Education Minister Pralhad Joshi, and the Ministry of Education.

The organizers of the event disputed the university's explanation for the cancellation and stated that they would hold the program regardless of the auditorium's availability. The university's cancellation letter accused the organizers of not disclosing the "full facts" about the program.