The suspended president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University students' union, N. Sai Balaji, released an open letter to Narendra Modi on Monday, in which he said the Prime Minister, through vice-chancellors, was targeting universities through 'repression, fund cuts, seat cuts'.

He accused the government of decimating social justice 'by scuttling reservations, implementation of the New Education policy, saffronisation, privatisation and corporatisation of education'.

Balaji said hat he, along with JNUSU office bearers Geeta Kumari, former JNUSU president Shubhanshu, and 15-20 other student activists were “academically suspended” by V-C Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar and his administration.

'Somehow, from the time he became our V-C, he has been trying to emulate you to near perfection,' Balaji wrote. 'At times we wonder if he is just a mirror image of yours.'

'Students have been turned into commodities and anyone resisting and fighting back is being victimised,' the student leader wrote. 'Those who resist and continue to find the strength to fight back are hounded, trolled, punished and then ostracised.'

He alleged that JNU had suffered an 80 per cent funds cut in its library. 'Yes Modi ji, an 80% fund cut. And you know we are being served notices for resisting his (the vice-chancellor's) onslaught.'

'I have been served proctorial notices for raising slogans like 'RSS murdabad' and 'ABVP murdabad''. My original, well-researched MPhil thesis, for which I worked hard, was blocked by the V-C and his administration because I raised these slogans. This is your ‘new India’ where resisting and speaking against the RSS – an organisation that never supported or participated in the Indian freedom struggle – is a crime,' Balaji wrote.

He signed off with 'Till then, with love, Yours, Academically Suspended. Inquilab Zindabad!'

JNU V-C Jagadesh Kumar could not be contacted for a response.

The following is the full text of Balaji's letter.