Students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) staged a protest on Tuesday (April 21, 2026) alleging that a hostel warden removed a portrait of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar that was installed on Ambedkar Jayanti, April 14.
In a statement, the Tapti Hostel Committee, which called for the protest, termed the incident “deeply shameful”. It alleged that the hostel warden “forcibly removed the portrait twice and locked it in her office”.
“We strongly condemn this action and demand the immediate return and reinstallation of Dr. Ambedkar’s portrait in the mess, and an apology for such a cowardly and shameful act,” it stated.
However, Vaniki Joshi Lohani, one of the three hostel wardens, said, “The portrait was removed and shifted to the hostel warden’s office along with portraits of [former PM] Jawaharlal Nehru and the current Prime Minister and President in an attempt to avoid creating a ruckus.”
A JNU official said there have been instances of defacement in open spaces such as hostels that often lead to chaos on campus.
