Hyderabad: Around 450 students of the Hyderabad-based NALSAR University of Law have urged the institution to reconsider any proposal to invite Chief Justice of India Surya Kant as the chief guest for its upcoming convocation.
In an email addressed to the vice-chancellor, registrar and professors on July 23, students from the 2026 graduating batch said their objection was linked to the Supreme Court’s handling of a plea concerning alleged police excesses during the July 20 ‘Chalo Sansad’ demonstration at Jantar Mantar.
The students said a bench headed by the CJI had declined to allow the urgent listing of the petition relating to the alleged police action against protesters. They also referred to the CJI’s reported response when the lead counsel offered to show video footage of the incident, saying the bench was “not interested” in watching the videos, as reported by The New Indian Express.
The students said their representation was intended to convey their reservations over the possible appointment of the CJI as the chief guest at their convocation.
“As students of law, our concern is narrower and more specific to us as a graduating batch. A convocation is meant to be a moment where the University’s own values, including a commitment to constitutional rights, access to justice, and reasoned engagement with grievances, are visibly reflected in the choices it makes,” they said in the email.
They further said the reported conduct of the CJI during the hearing had created unease among them.
“We feel that receiving our degrees from a dignitary whose recent public conduct, as reported, appears dismissive of serious allegations of police brutality against protesting citizens sits uncomfortably with what we have been taught to value during our time at NALSAR,” they said.
According to the students, the July 20 march to Parliament had been organised by the Cockroach Janta Party, or CJP. The protesters had raised issues concerning the conduct of the NEET examination and sought reforms in the National Testing Agency, they said.
The students said they had approached the university before any final decision was taken on the convocation invite.
“We are raising this matter now, before any formal decision is made, so that our views can be taken into account well in time,” they said.
In their email, the students asked the university to “strongly reconsider” the proposed choice of chief guest. They also requested the administration to consult the graduating batch before communicating any final decision or extending a formal invitation to the CJI.
The varsity administration was yet to reply to the students’ email, according to a student.