JNU VC under fire for 'playing victim card' remark
JNU Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit is under fire after saying, "You cannot progress by being permanently a victim or playing the victim card," on her February 16 podcast.
She also called the UGC's new anti-discrimination rules "unnecessary" and "irrational."
Student and teacher groups are now demanding her resignation, accusing her of dismissing caste discrimination.
Pandit labeled 'blatantly casteist'
Many felt Pandit's remarks downplayed Dalit issues and compared affirmative action to "drugs."
The JNU Students's Union labeled her comments as "blatantly casteist" and protested on campus.
Despite Pandit clarifying that she was criticizing "woke ideology," tensions remain high, with a formal complaint filed against her under the SC/ST Act.
Pandit became JNU's 1st woman VC in 2022
Pandit became JNU's first woman VC in 2022. She identifies as OBC-Bahujan.
This isn't the first time she's faced controversy over public statements.