Some JNU faculty members 'brainwashing' students: Mohandas Pai

New Delhi, Feb 24: Jawaharlal Nehru University "brainwashes" its students and does not encourage alternative viewpoints, according to former Infosys Director TV Mohandas Pai.

"...It's not an open university, it doesn't allow other thoughts to come in. It's a closed university, it has set shop to further the interest of certain faculties and students and they are brainwashing the students," Pai said on the sidelines of an event here.

"Those in JNU are very much shut up from the outside world. They abuse anybody and everybody who holds different views," said Pai. The chairman of Manipal Global Education Group also alleged that JNU stands "isolated" from the country and the current administration and faculty of the central university must be held responsible.

"The faculty is responsible, the university administration is responsible. They are not open to other views. When they hold seminars and debate they call only people of their type," he said.

Pai also rubbished opposition leaders' claims of the Centre "muzzling dissent" in the country.

"Nobody is muzzling dissent, you can criticise but don't abuse. There is freedom of speech but you can't cross boundaries," he said.

He also spoke out against those who termed the recent circular that made it mandatory to hoist the national flag in all central universities as a 'diktat'.

"How can it be a diktat? The universities are not a public property? How can they protest?" he said.

Pai, who stepped down from his corporate position to lead efforts in the areas of human resources, education and research, said the Patiala House Courts lawyers who had allegedly attacked scribes and students recently should be punished.

"Lawyers broke the law, they have to be punished, anybody who obstructs the rule of law has to be punished," he said.

PTI