‘Provocative slogans’: JNU seeks FIR, names students

JNU has sought an FIR after students allegedly raised provocative slogans against the Prime Minister and Home Minister during a campus event, terming the act contempt of court and a violation of conduct rules, while initiating an internal inquiry

New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has sought an FIR after students allegedly raised “provocative” slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah inside the university campus during an event on Monday night, varsity officials said.

The letter written by the JNU administration to the Delhi Police states that certain students raised “highly objectionable, provocative and inflammatory” slogans and are in direct contempt of the Supreme Court.

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According to the letter addressed to the SHO of Vasant Kunj (North), and seen by PTI, the university’s Security Department said a programme, ‘A Night of Resistance with Guerrilla Dhaba’, was organised around 10 pm by students linked to the JNUSU.

The gathering initially appeared limited to commemorating the January 5, 2020 incident, with around 30 to 35 students present.

The letter stated that the nature of the event changed following a judicial verdict on the bail pleas of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, after which some participants allegedly raised slogans that the university termed inflammatory and objectionable.

A purported video of the incident has also surfaced online.

The administration claimed the slogans amounted to contempt of the Supreme Court and violated the JNU Code of Conduct.

The university has named several students, including current JNUSU president Aditi Mishra, and said they were identified during the programme and argued that the slogans were “deliberate”, “repeated” and had the “potential to seriously disrupt public order, campus harmony and security”.

Security officials were present on site and monitored the situation, the letter added.

The Chief Security Officer has requested police to register an FIR under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, according to the letter.

Further, senior officials on the condition of anonymity told PTI that the JNU administration held a meeting on Tuesday and will take corrective action against the students found guilty.

“JNU administration is setting up an internal inquiry on the matter. If students are found guilty of violating any rules or regulations, we will take disciplinary action against the students,” the senior official said.

Adding that the JNU administration will issue an advisory later.

According to students, every year a protest is held to condemn the violence which occurred on the campus on January 5, 2020, when a mob of masked men stormed the campus and targeted students in three hostels, unleashing mayhem with sticks, stones and iron rods, hitting inmates and breaking windows, furniture and personal belongings.

At least 28 people, including then JNU Students’ Union president Aishe Ghosh, were injured as chaos reigned on the campus for nearly two hours.