New Delhi, Aug. 10: Jawaharlal Nehru University professor emeritus Prabhat Patnaik received a notice from the university registrar today warning him not to address gatherings at the prohibited area on the campus.

On August 4, Patnaik, historian Harbans Mukhia and Sahitya Akademi awardee Chaman Lal - all former JNU professors - as well as journalist Urmilesh had addressed a seminar on "The idea of a university: democracy, resistance and future challenges", hosted by the JNU students' union.

Since a gherao last year, vice-chancellor M. Jagadesh Kumar has banned gatherings within 20 metres of the administrative block and acted against teachers and students who have gathered at the spot since.

In April, Janata Dal United MP Sharad Yadav addressed students in front of the building in defiance of a letter sent to him not to speak at the spot.

A day before the August 4 event, too, Patnaik and Lal had received notices from registrar Pramod Kumar asking them not to address the event "as its venue falls in the close vicinity of administrative block, which is a prohibited area".

Following this, the students' union placed the dais further than 20 metres from the building.

Patnaik, one of the founding professors of the university, replied to the registrar saying: "I did not know where the meeting on the 4th was going to be held. But if it is being held at some venue where it should not be held, then that is a matter for you to take up with the students and not with me. Since I have agreed to speak at the meeting which is to discuss an important academic issue, namely the idea of a university, I shall do so."

He added: "I am not an organiser of the meeting, and I am a retired professor with no regular contact with the students' union. It is not for me to tell the students where they should hold their meetings. You should take up the matter with them and not with me."

Patnaik, a columnist with The Telegraph, today received a letter from the registrar saying: "It is unfortunate that you did not care to respect the rules of the university where you have served for decades and is currently holding the position of emeritus professor. Let me also clarify that the meeting in which you addressed the gathering was convened by Mr Mohit Kumar Pandey, who is currently not even a registered student of the university. It is expected from you that such violation of rules is not repeated in future."

The letter, without a salutation, came a day after the high court banned protests within 100 metres of the administrative block. It, however, rejected the administration's plea for police protection, made following a student blockade in February after an 80 per cent cut in research seats.

Students' Union president Pandey, whose registration for the current semester has been withheld for his refusal to pay a Rs 20,000 fine for recording the proceedings of an academic council meeting, has called for a human chain protest against the restrictions on dissent tomorrow. Students will be wearing black bands on their arms when they attend classes.

Asked whether Patnaik could lose his emeritus status if he spoke in the (now widened) prohibited area again, registrar Kumar told The Telegraph: "That may be, but I just gave a simple reminder that this is not the place to address (meetings). Besides court directions, there are also JNU's own rules, framed three decades ago when he was in service. As a professor emeritus, it looks bad if he violates rules."

Patnaik, 72, told this newspaper: "I am unaware if any such incident has happened in the past where the registrar has told a teacher not to talk to students.... This was not a gherao. In deference to the letter, the stage was kept far from the building's steps. Universities do not write to professors emeriti asking them not to speak here or there, like this."

Lal, a former president of the JNU teachers' association, said: "I condemn this letter to Professor Patnaik. It is a disgrace to the academic culture of JNU. Any vice-chancellor of JNU has always addressed professors by name in letters. The manner in which this letter is written, without a salutation, is shameful. No rule was broken."