JNU Library Renamed as B R Ambedkar Library

Jawaharlal Nehru University’s central library will now be known as B R Ambedkar Library. The decision was finalized by the administration on June 21 subsequent to the demands from BJP's student wing ABVP to change the name.

There have been constant ideological conflicts between ABVP and the left-backed groups on the campus. In April, ABVP also demanded to install a statue of the architect of Indian Constitution on the university’s campus.

The proposal to rename the central library to B R Ambedkar Library was approved by the university’s library committee and was placed before the Executive Council on June 21. Executive Council is the statutory decision making body of the university.

"The proposal was placed before the council today and was approved unanimously to rename the central library as B R Ambedkar Library," an EC member said.

Commenting on the approval of renaming, the Left-groups that is active on campus said that ABVP's demands are ironic and claimed, it strange that on one hand the government aims to terrorize students who pursue Ambedkarite politics, while its student wing goes beyond lengths to appropriating Ambedkar".

This was not the sole renaming request that ABVP had made. The student wing also wrote to President Pranab Mukherjee and HRD Ministry demanding the renaming of the convention centre after APJ Abdul Kalam and the stadium ground after the freedom fighter Birsa Munda.