New Delhi: The Jawaharlal Nehru University(JNU) has cancelled the booking of an auditorium for August 10 at the School of Social Sciences(SSS), which was to host a discussion on the book written by the key accused in the 2020 Delhi Riots case Umar Khalid. The University clarified that the booking of the SSS-1 auditorium on August 10, from 3PM to 6PM stands cancelled.
The book discussion was organised by the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union(JNUSU) on the occasion of Adiwasi Diwas or Tribal Day. The book written by now jailed Umar Khalid is titled as “Fractured communities: Adivasi Histories and Politics of Power”. The University cites lack of transparency and “non-disclosure” of complete information related to the event as key reasons for cancelling the booking of the auditorium.
JNU is a democratic and decentralised institution. The permission was given by Dean, SSS who has taken action as well in cancelling the event.
The booking of the auditorium SSS-1 stands cancelled because of non-disclosure of the full facts about the program which is going to… pic.twitter.com/SsEsMO3muT
— Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) (@JNU_official_50) August 9, 2026
The JNU Students Union and the organisers cited the event, as a Public Talk on the occassion of the Adiwasi Divas and a book discussion. However, they did not completely disclosed the facts and details of the event. As a result, citing the “non-disclosure of full facts” clause, the University has cancelled the event.
According to the latest public notice issued by the JNU, the organisers of the event didn’t render full details pertaining to the book discussion, while submitting the form to book the auditorium. The University highlighted transparency as a prerequisite to use any auditorium or other spaces within the JNU campus. The cancellation letter was issued by the Joint Registrar and was approved by the Dean of the School of Social Sciences(SSS).
The notice read, “Reference request form for booking the auditorium SSS-1 on 10.08.2026 from 3PM to 6PM regarding Public Talk for Adiwasi Diwas(Book Discussion) duly filled and forwarded by you. The booking of the auditorium SSS-1 stands cancelled because of non-disclosure of the full facts about the programme”.
As per the sources, the key speakers in the book discussion included, Prof. Prabhu Mohapatra, Prof. Uma Chakravarti, Shuddhabrata Sengupta, Harsh Mander and Bano Jyotsna Lahiri. According to the University, the auditorium was initially booked by Dr. Avinash Kumar from the Centre for International Legal Studies(CISLS). It was also said that the professor would be present in the function as a representative of the Centre’s faculty.
However, the University has cancelled the booking of the auditorium for not furnishing and disclosing the full information pertaining to the book discussion.
JNU highlights democracy & decentralised ethos of the University
In the public notice citing the cancellation of the booking of the auditorium, JNU has reiterated that it is a democratic and decentralised institution. This reflects the importance asserted to maintaining clarity, transparency and respecting the principles of the institution while hosting any events in the University space.
It also added that the permission to host Umar Khalid’s book discussion was given by the Dean of the School of Social Sciences. However, the dean has taken action to cancel the event as well, the University further stated.
Umar Khalid is a former student of the Jawaharlal Nehru University(JNU) and is a key accused in the 2020 Delhi riots. He has been imprisoned since September 2020, under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act(UAPA) for conspiring in the deadly riots, in which 53 people died and more than 700 injured.
