Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Tuesday strongly condemned the raising of objectionable slogans on its campus after videos surfaced on social media showing students chanting remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
In a statement posted on its official X handle, the JNU administration said it would take the “strictest action” against those found involved in the incident. Emphasising the role of universities, the statement said campuses are meant to encourage new ideas and innovation and “cannot be turned into laboratories of hate.”
“Freedom of speech and expression is a fundamental right. However, violence, unlawful conduct or any form of anti-national activity will not be tolerated under any circumstances,” the university said. It added that students found guilty could face disciplinary action, including suspension, expulsion or permanent debarment.
According to a complaint submitted by JNU to the police, around 30 to 35 students allegedly began raising provocative slogans soon after the bail pleas of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam were rejected. The university claimed that the slogans amounted to direct contempt of the Supreme Court. No FIR has been registered so far.
Rejecting the allegations, JNUSU president Aditi Mishra, who was present at the spot, said the sloganeering did not amount to a protest and insisted that the slogans were ideological in nature.
“All the slogans raised were ideological and did not target any individual personally,” Mishra told India Today TV.
When asked specifically about slogans directed at Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Shah, Mishra said the two leaders were responsible for the 2002 violence and claimed they remained beyond accountability. She added that students opposed what she described as the “fascist ideology” represented by the leadership.
The incident has drawn comparisons with a similar controversy at JNU nearly a decade ago, when alleged anti-national slogans were raised following the execution of terrorist Afzal Guru. That episode led to the arrest of then JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar and student leader Umar Khalid on sedition charges.