JNU Protest After Supreme Court Denies Bail to Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam; Slogans Spark Row
Political reactions pour in after controversial slogans are raised during a student protest on JNU campus
New Delhi: A group of students at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) allegedly raised controversial slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a protest on campus late Monday night. The protest took place a few hours after the Supreme Court rejected bail pleas of activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case.
According to reports, a video circulating on social media shows students raising slogans near Sabarmati Hostel between 9 pm and 10 pm. The slogans criticised the Prime Minister and the Home Minister and were raised during a demonstration linked to the Supreme Court’s decision.
NDTV reported that senior office-bearers of the Left-backed Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU), including joint secretary Danish and secretary Sunil, were present at the site along with members of other Left-affiliated student groups.
One of the slogans heard in the video referred to Prime Minister Modi and Amit Shah in a highly provocative manner. The incident has revived memories of earlier controversies at JNU related to slogans and protests, which had drawn nationwide attention nearly a decade ago.
Reacting to the incident, JNUSU president Aditi Mishra said the protest was part of an annual programme to remember the violence that occurred on the JNU campus on January 5, 2020. She clarified that the slogans were ideological in nature and not aimed at any individual personally.
“All slogans raised during the protest were ideological and not directed at anyone personally,” Mishra told PTI.
Meanwhile, a senior police official said no formal complaint had been received so far regarding the slogans raised during the protest.
The incident drew sharp political reactions. Union Minister Giriraj Singh criticised the sloganeering and linked it to what he described as anti-national thinking on the campus. He said such acts should not be tolerated and accused opposition parties and Left groups of encouraging such behaviour.
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) also condemned the incident. Manish Choudhary, vice president of ABVP’s JNU unit, said such slogans had become frequent on campus and welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to deny bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam.
Delhi Environment Minister and BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa also reacted strongly, questioning protests against Supreme Court verdicts and accusing the protesters of acting against national interests.
The slogans were raised after the Supreme Court rejected the bail pleas of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, who have been in jail for over five years in connection with an alleged larger conspiracy behind the 2020 Delhi riots.
A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and Prasanna B Varale said the prosecution had presented material showing a prima facie case against the two activists. The court noted that the legal bar on bail under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) applied in their case.
While denying bail to Khalid and Imam, the court granted bail to five other accused, stating that their level of involvement appeared different. The bench said Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam stood on a “qualitatively different footing” compared to the other accused due to their alleged role in planning and mobilisation.
The January 5, 2020, violence mentioned by JNUSU leaders refers to an incident in which masked attackers entered the JNU campus, vandalised property and assaulted students across several hostels. At least 28 people were injured, and the incident had led to widespread criticism of the police response at the time.
