Teachers from central universities across the country on Tuesday appealed to Delhi Chief Minister Atishi to intervene in the recent termination of two faculty members from the Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD) and demanded their immediate reinstatement.

Describing the action as an attack on academic freedom and democratic spaces, they alleged that the professors were targeted for voicing dissent against the establishment. They called for solidarity from the academic community and warned of widespread agitation if their demand was not met.

The Joint Forum for Movement on Education (JFME), along with representatives from the All India Federation of University and College Teachers' Organisations (AIFUCTO) and the Federation of Central Universities Teachers' Associations (FEDCUTA), held a press conference to address the issue.

Professors Salil Mishra and Asmita Kabra, founding faculty members of the AUD, a state government-run university, were terminated last month and allegedly denied severance benefits.

The termination stemmed from allegations related to their role in the regularisation of 38 contractual administrative staff in 2018-19, a decision made collectively by the university's board of management. The statement issued by the forum highlighted that three inquiry committees were formed by the AUD since 2020 to investigate alleged anomalies in the regularisation process.

While the first committee found no evidence of corruption, the subsequent committees accused the professors of actions "unbecoming of a public officer" and "misconduct", it said.The forum also raised concerns about the broader implications of the action, stating it was part of a disturbing trend to intimidate independent and secular academicians.

"Democratic spaces are being eroded, and this will completely distort our public-funded institutions. We will not allow this to happen and have sought an appointment to address the issue," said Nandita Narain, chairperson of the JFME.

Further, the forum alleged that the AUD administration ignored complaints of caste- and gender-based harassment by senior officials, raising questions about the university's commitment to fairness and justice.

They noted that the timing of the professors' dismissal coincided with protests by faculty and staff over these harassment cases. Drawing parallels with similar incidents at other institutions, the forum cited the suspension of a professor at Jamia Millia Islamia over procedural disagreements and the issuance of show-cause notices to faculty members at IIT Kharagpur for opposing administrative decisions.

They warned that such actions threaten the autonomy and democratic functioning of universities across India. In their appeal to the Delhi CM, who also serves as the education minister, the teachers' organisations urged her immediate intervention to reverse the dismissals and address the university's governance issues.