JNUSU joint secretary seals campus eatery over assault, hygiene violations

Vaibhav Meena, Joint Secretary of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU), sealed the Mughal Darbar canteen on campus following an alleged assault and misconduct by its staff on Friday night.

The altercation began when a group of students, dining at the eatery, asked for a bill and complained about the poor quality of food. According to the students, staff members refused to issue a bill, verbally abused them and snatched their phones when they attempted to record the incident.

The JNUSU alleged one of the canteen staff members was intoxicated and behaved inappropriately with the students.

Meena and several other students arrived at the scene shortly after, but the accused staff member had already fled and the owner was not present. A preliminary inquiry reportedly revealed the eatery was operating without a valid licence, amid unhygienic conditions and with stale meat allegedly stored for three to four days.

“The premises will remain sealed until a campus-wide inspection of all canteens is completed. We demand verification of licences, hygiene certificates, standardised rate lists and proper tender-based allotments,” Meena said.

He also criticised JNUSU president Nitish Kumar for his stance, saying, “It is shameful the JNUSU president chose to defend those who assault students and serve unhygienic food, rather than stand up for student welfare. This incident has again revealed the nexus between certain Left leaders in JNUSU and canteen owners who flout legal and health standards.”

Meena further stated, “We will not allow the canteen and dhaba mafia, operating in collusion with Left groups, to exploit students or endanger their health. Until proper checks are in place and norms are enforced, Mughal Darbar will remain shut. JNU belongs to students, not to canteen owners protected by political patronage.”

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) reiterated its commitment to ensuring all campus food outlets operate transparently, meet sanitation standards and comply with legal regulations.