New Delhi: The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) on Friday protested against an event featuring an ISKCON representative at the university, following which the programme was cancelled, according to union members.

The programme, titled 'Empowering Youth for a Brighter Future', was scheduled at the JNU central library and included a session on "Balancing EQ, IQ and SQ", according to posters and details shared by student representatives.

JNUSU General Secretary Sunil Yadav said the union had raised objections with the university administration last year over permission granted to ISKCON to organise an event on the Bhagavad Gita on the campus.

"Back in November 2025, JNUSU had written to the administration, flagging the permission given to ISKCON to conduct an event on the Gita. On Friday, a speaker representative from the same organisation was supposed to speak at the library. Following the protest, they had to cancel the event," Yadav told PTI.

In an email to the JNU Vice-Chancellor on November 30, 2025, the students' union had referred to university rules governing the booking of the convention centre, which state that the facility cannot be made available to any political or religious organisation.

The union had sought clarification from the administration on the basis under which organisations such as ISKCON were allegedly allowed to hold events on the campus. It had also sought details of such bookings and the role of the Internal House Administration (IHA) in approving them.

JNUSU had objected to a registration form circulated for the earlier event, claiming it sought details such as hostel names and separate contact numbers for male and female participants. It also raised objections to programmes based on the Bhagavad Gita, describing it as a religious text.

Yadav alleged that university rules did not permit religious organisations to conduct such programmes on campus and claimed that several such events had nevertheless received approval.

Despite repeated attempts, JNU administration did not respond to PTI's queries regarding the allegations and cancellation of Friday's event. ISKCON, or the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, is a Hindu religious organisation founded in 1966.