On the 5th and 6th May, a section of the student body published tweets concerning an esteemed faculty member of JGU — Professor Vqueeram Aditya Sahai. Professor Vqueeram has been associated with the Centre for Justice, Law and Society at JGU and teaches courses concerning Reproductive Rights and Trans Rights. Their scholarship on “the sex-gender-self” and their foundational work in establishing India’s first Queer Studies course have fundamentally reshaped the intersection of constitutional law and identity at JGLS. Their mentorship and lived commitment to social justice have empowered a generation of law students to bridge the gap between legal theory and the pursuit of human dignity.

Recent tweets have circulated recordings of Professor Vqueeram without their consent. These recordings appear to have been taken during their classes, and recording them in this academic context is not only a denigration of the privacy of the professor and fellow students, but also a violation of the JGU Student Code of Conduct provisions governing classroom conduct and unauthorised recordings. These tweets have been accompanied by an online campaign painting Professor Vqueeram as “anti-Hindu”. On 6th May, as we write this, a small section of students gathered outside the Vice Chancellor’s office against Professor Vqueeram’s perceived offensive actions.

We, as concerned students of this University, strongly condemn the online slander campaign, release of private details and pictures, and the circulation of voice recordings undertaken by a certain section of the student body. We further express deep concern at the underlying erosion of academic freedom in JGU that these events expose. In increasingly fragmented and divisive times, the release of illegally recorded audio of opinions stated in an academic context by a professor or student is a deeply dangerous precedent. The “safe space” of the classroom must be protected. The transphobic and misogynistic undertones of this discourse and upheaval against the views of an openly trans and opinionated faculty member are evident for all to see.

Every course manual at JGU explicitly mandates the classroom as a “safe space,” pledging both students and instructors to a collective responsibility where sensitive issues can be discussed without inhibition or fear of reprisal. The unauthorised recording and circulation of these discussions constitute a direct assault on the fundamental right to privacy and dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution, alongside the freedom of expression and academic inquiry protected under Article 19(1)(a), both of which are essential to the preservation of a robust and fearless intellectual environment. Further, with the enactment of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, the unauthorised processing and circulation of identifiable voice data raises serious legal and ethical concerns. The recordings currently fueling this hysteria are muffled, stripped of their pedagogical context, and often cut mid-phrase, maliciously framing the recitation of academic scholarship and critical theory as personal opinion in order to manufacture outrage based on speculation rather than substance.

JGU has long sought to cultivate a genuinely rigorous and globally engaged academic environment, one grounded in critical thinking, intellectual inquiry, and open debate. In such a context, to study religious fundamentalism, occupation, the nature and polity of our State, and to critique reactionary and fundamentalist tendencies within society is not misconduct, but part of the duty of an honest academic. Professor Vqueeram has upheld those responsibilities, and is now facing doxxing alongside transphobic and patriarchal slander as a result.

We, as concerned students of this University who hold deep respect and admiration for JGU’s academic culture, and particularly for Professor Vqueeram’s contribution to this institution, write this statement in their support. We request that the University investigate the unauthorised release and circulation of classroom recordings and consider appropriate disciplinary action in accordance with institutional policy. We further request that the administration publicly reaffirm its commitment to Professor Vqueeram’s safety, dignity, and continued academic freedom at this institution, and communicate to the student body the steps and timeline, if any, through which these concerns will be addressed. These campaigns are often exacerbated by a person’s marginalised axes of identity, and we as students of this University refuse to stand by as one of our own is subjected to such despicable acts.

IN SOLIDARITY AND RESISTANCE!
— Concerned Students of Jindal Global University