Anti-Modi Slogans at JNU: Student Union Gets Notice Day After Protests Over SC Bail Denial to Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam

New Delhi: Tension erupted at Jawaharlal Nehru University on January 5 as protests broke out with students raising anti-PM Modi and anti-Amit Shah slogans, expressing anger over the Supreme Court’s decision to refuse to grant bail to activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the larger conspiracy case linked to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.

Following the incident, Delhi Police has sent notices to some of the officials of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) for questioning in connection with the protest. 

Sixth Anniversary of 2020 JNU Attack

The demonstrations also coincided with the sixth anniversary of the January 5, 2020 incident, when masked assailants attacked students and teachers on the JNU campus. 

Marking the day, the Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers' Association (JNUTA) commemorated it as a “brutal attack” and alleged that the attackers continue to remain unidentified.

The JNUSU organised a “Guerilla Dhaba” on campus on Monday night, describing it as a symbolic protest against the 2020 violence. 

Several students associated with left-wing organisations were present at the site when the controversial slogans were raised, including JNUSU joint secretary Danish and secretary Sunil. 

Reacting to the incident, Manish Choudhary, vice president of the JNU unit of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), said that slogans such as “ABVP RSS ki kabar khudegi” were also raised during the protest. He remarked that such sloganeering had become common on the JNU campus.

Choudhary welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision, stating, “We welcome the order of the Supreme Court rejecting the bail pleas of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam,” and reiterated the ABVP’s support for the verdict.

Library Surveillance Row 

Earlier, students protested and damaged a newly installed facial-recognition device at the Dr B R Ambedkar Central Library, accusing the administration of privacy violations and lack of transparency in implementing the new entry system. Following the incident, university officials have ordered a security probe.

According to reports, JNUSU vice president Gopika Babu and a group of students protesting the system allegedly broke the machine and damaged the library gate, triggering a tense atmosphere on campus. Several groups have demanded strict action against those involved.

In an official statement, the JNU administration strongly condemned the vandalism, calling it a “shameful” act by “left-wing goons”. The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), JNU unit, demanded that all those responsible be identified and subjected to strict punitive action.

'No Regard for Constitution or Law': Sirsa Condemns JNU Slogans

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa criticised the sloganeering against PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the JNU campus yesterday.

"I strongly condemn this. If there are protests in this country even against the Supreme Court's rulings, then what is left? These people have no regard for the country, the constitution, or the law," said Sirsa.

Further, he launched a scathing attack on the AAP for supporting the bail pleas of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam.

"I was watching the statement of AAP's senior leader, Sanjay Singh. He said that he respects the Supreme Court, and in the next line, he says that they shouldn't be kept in jail.

"This means that those who killed innocent people in the riots in Delhi, those who committed violence and killed people in the riots, should not be kept in jail..." he added.