The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has alleged that “provocative slogans” such as “Free Umar Khalid” and “Long Live Naxalbari” were written on the walls of Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), urging the administration to take cognisance of the incidents and appropriate action against those responsible.
This comes two days after similar slogans were allegedly spotted at Jamia Millia Islamia University in the capital. In a post on X, Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) national spokesperson Vinod Bansal shared photographs purportedly showing graffiti, including “Free Kashmir”, “Free Palestine”, “Free Sharjeel Imam” and “RSS Go Back”, on the campus walls.
At JNU, the ABVP also claimed that objectionable content had been written on a portrait of VD Savarkar.
Also Read | Congress, Samajwadi Party MPs detained on way to join Jamia Millia students’ protest in Delhi
“Freedom of expression must go hand in hand with responsibility and respect for public property and differing viewpoints. Universities should be spaces for constructive debate, not provocation and confrontation. ABVP JNU demands that the university administration take cognisance of these incidents, identify those responsible, and take appropriate action to safeguard the dignity and academic atmosphere of the campus,” ABVP JNU said in a post on X on Saturday.
The JNU administration has reportedly taken cognisance of the matter and is looking into it, saying it would not allow vested interests to disturb peace on the campus.
Why are Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in jail?
Umar Khalid, a former JNU research scholar, has been in jail since September 2020 in connection with the larger conspiracy behind the February 2020 Delhi riots. He has been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The case relates to violence that left 53 people dead in the national capital.
Sharjeel Imam, another former JNU scholar, was arrested in 2020 over speeches delivered during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). A case was filed against him under sedition and other charges following a speech at Aligarh Muslim University in which he called for blocking roads connecting the Northeast with the rest of India.
Protests in Jamia Millia Islamia
The controversy over the slogans comes amid intensifying protests at Jamia Millia Islamia over the restoration of the students' union. Students have also demanded the revocation of disciplinary action against students and the removal of the university's chief proctor over what they have described as a crackdown on protesters.
Tensions flared between teaching staff and students on Saturday amid allegations of a forceful confrontation between the two sides. As a result, the university shifted classes to online mode.
Speaking to reporters, Jamia Registrar Rizvi said he had personally met students staging a hunger strike and discussed their demand for students' union elections.
“Regarding their demand for holding a union election, I informed them that we have already formed a draft committee tasked with drafting a constitution. They then asked for a deadline. I told them that the sooner they complete the draft constitution, the sooner we will conduct the elections—a proposal they agreed to,” the registrar said, according to news agency ANI.
On Saturday, Congress leader Imran Masood visited the Jamia campus and dismissed reports of “Free Kashmir” slogans being raised there as fake news. However, he acknowledged that some posters carrying the same slogan had been put up on the campus and demanded strict action against those responsible.
Rizvi also condemned the “Free Kashmir” graffiti reportedly found on the campus.
“As for the graffiti written yesterday—the 'Free Kashmir' slogan—we condemn it in the strongest possible terms; we will not support it under any circumstances,” he said.
Protesting students alleged that the controversial posters were being put up to create a different narrative amid the ongoing demonstrations. One student, speaking to ANI, said security camera footage should be checked to identify those putting up the posters on campus and clarified that the protesting students were not involved.