Students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Monday held a protest against the Supreme Court order denying bail to former research scholars at the varsity, Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid in a case related to alleged conspiracy in the 2020 Delhi riots.
The protesters allegedly raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, following which the university administration sought an FIR against the students.
In a letter to the Delhi Police, the JNU administration claimed that certain students raised "highly objectionable, provocative and inflammatory" slogans during the protest, which it claimed was in direct contempt of the top court and reflect a "wilful disrespect for constitutional institutions and established norms of civil and democratic discourse."
The University has named several students, including current Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) president Aditi Mishra, and said they were identified during the programme and claimed that the slogans were "deliberate", "repeated" and had the "potential to seriously disrupt public order, campus harmony and security."
However, Mishra was quoted as saying by the PTI that "all of the slogans raised in the protest were ideological and do not attack anyone personally. They were not directed towards anyone."
The protest was part of an event -- "A Night of Resistance with Guerrilla Dhaba" -- organised at Sabarmati Dhaba to mark the anniversary of the January 5, 2020, violence in which a group of people, allegedly associated with right wing outfits, had entered the campus and unleashed mayhem by attacking students and teachers.
According to the letter addressed to the SHO of Vasant Kunj (North), the University's Security Department said the programme 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 said that the nature of the event changed following a judicial verdict on the bail pleas of Khalid and Imam, after which some participants allegedly raised slogans, which the University termed "inflammatory and objectionable."
"Such an act reflects a wilful disrespect for constitutional institutions and established norms of civil and democratic discourse. All stakeholders must understand the clear distinction between dissent and abuse and hate speech which lead to public disorder," a statement issued by the University registrar said.
Noting that the raising of such slogans is "wholly inconsistent with democratic dissent and violates the JNU Code of Conduct", the statement said such slogans have the "potential to seriously disturb public order, campus harmony and the safety and security environment of the university and the nation."
The University also ordered an internal inquiry, as BJP leaders, including Union and Delhi ministers, expressed anger over the incident, alleging that the slogans reflected the "Urban Naxal mindset that is supported by Rahul Gandhi and the Congress."
(With inputs from PTI)
