HYDERABAD: Backed by alumni and members of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), Telangana, NALSAR students said they were firm on their demand that Chief Justice of India Surya Kant not attend the convocation as chief guest. However, they maintained that they did not plan to boycott the event or ask the varsity to withdraw the invitation extended to the CJI.“Our demand was not to invite him to the convocation. But since he has already been invited, there is not much we can do. However, we will not withdraw our demand,” a student said.The students had on Aug 9 given a representation to the vice-chancellor against invited the CJI, objecting to the Supreme Court initially refusing to hear petitions on police brutality during the CJP protest at Jantar Mantar in the national capital.Backing the students, alumni members said they were well within their rights to ask the varsity not to invite the CJI. “It is a justified demand made to their own administration and vice-chancellor. The demand by the students was to reconsider the decision to invite the CJI, which is in line with NALSAR’s norm. It’s their call. It is not disrespectful to the office of the CJI itself,” said Akhil Surya, a gold medallist at last year’s NALSAR convocation and an activist.He also added that the issue at NALSAR should not be viewed in isolation, as several CJI events were cancelled and students of TISS had made a similar request.Similarly, those who were part of the CJP movement said they stood by the NALSAR students. “Even if I were in the place of NALSAR students, I would not have wanted to take my degree from the current CJI,” said Ruchith Asha Kamal, a Hyderabad resident who took an active part in the CJP protest in Delhi.
