A final-year MA student at Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University Delhi has been suspended for six months after allegedly criticizing a speech delivered by Vice-Chancellor Anu Singh Lathar on Republic Day this year.

The university’s Proctorial Board, in an order issued on March 21, cited "indiscipline" and the use of "derogatory and disrespectful language against the Head of the Institution" as reasons for the suspension.

The controversy stems from Lathar’s speech, in which she claimed that the Ram Janmabhoomi movement dates back 525 years and is not a recent issue.

She also praised the government for the construction of the Ram Temple and urged that Dr. B.R. Ambedkar be recognized as a national figure rather than being confined to the Dalit identity, as reported by The Indian Express.

Following the speech, the suspended student, who is associated with the All India Students’ Association (AISA), reportedly sent a critical email that was circulated through the university’s official mailing system in January. The university’s action bars the student from entering the campus for the entire winter semester.

Reacting to the suspension, the student alleged that the administration’s move was an attempt to suppress dissent and curb students' voices.

“What must our universities stand for if the act of just asking a question itself in criminalised… The clear motivation to further cause this mental and emotional harassment is nothing but a deliberate plot by the administration to set an example to all dissenting students and curb their voices indefinitely,” the student stated.

The suspension has sparked concerns about academic freedom and the democratic space within the university, with student activists calling it a part of a broader pattern of silencing critical voices.