New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is attending the convocation of St Stephen’s College as the chief guest on Saturday even though students had been campaigning to get him to boycott the graduation ceremony due to the controversy over the suspension of a student.
Devansh Mehta – the editor and co-founder of ‘St Stephen’s Weekly’ e-zine – was barred by the college from attending classes for launching an online magazine. Mehta was also stripped off a good conduct award which he was to receive from Kejriwal.
“I request Kejriwal to boycott the convocation in St Stephen’s college,” the student said.
Mehta’s suspension was stayed by the Delhi High Court on Friday after he challenged the ban on the magazine and accused principal Valson Thampu of putting “fetters on the fundamental right to free expression”.
In its order, the court said relief was provided since the student pleaded that the suspension could irreversibly impact his career in Columbia School of Journalism in the US, where he has been accepted. The Columbia University, he had said, might cancel his admission.
The court, however, did not ask the college to restore the good conduct award that Mehta was to receive from Kejriwal. The next hearing in the case will be held on May 21.
Mehta had been suspended till April 23 for “breach of discipline” over an interview of the principal last month. Thampu had said the piece – which registered over 2,000 hits – had not been cleared by him for publication. The e-zine was also banned.
A third year student of philosophy, Mehta called the ban “arbitrary, illegal, malafide and shockingly unreasonable” in his petition.