JNU Administration Writes To Delhi Police, Requests FIR Over Controversial Slogans Against PM Modi, Amit Shah

New Delhi: The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration has written to the Delhi Police requesting that an FIR be registered after controversial slogans were raised outside the Sabarmati Hostel inside the institution’s premises. 

Following the controversial sloganeering outside the Sabarmati Hostel at JNU, the entire university has once again been embroiled in controversy. 

What steps has the JNU administration taken?

Taking the incident seriously, the administration has written to the Delhi Police requesting that an FIR be registered. Meanwhile, a war of words has intensified between the JNU student union president and the ABVP.

The JNU administration issued a statement late on Monday, taking cognizance of the controversial and provocative sloganeering that took place outside the Sabarmati Hostel. The administration has sought the cooperation of the Delhi Police in investigating the incident and has demanded that an FIR be registered under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The Chief Security Officer of JNU has sent a complaint letter to the SHO of Vasant Kunj Police Station, Delhi Police, detailing the incident.

The letter states that security department officials were present at the scene and monitoring the situation. The slogans were clearly audible and were uttered deliberately and repeatedly, indicating premeditated misconduct rather than spontaneous expression.

What led to the controversy?

The incident occurred during a protest organized by some students on the sixth anniversary of the attack on the campus on January 5, 2020.  During this protest, some students are alleged to have raised controversial slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah late at night outside the Sabarmati Hostel. A purported video of this incident has gone viral on social media.

What has the JNU administration said?

According to the official statement issued by the JNU administration, initially, the gathering was limited to commemorating the anniversary of the January 5 incident, but the tone of the program suddenly changed after the judicial decisions on the bail applications of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam.

The security department's report states that some students deliberately started provocative and controversial sloganeering. The administration has considered this a direct contempt of the Honorable Supreme Court. The administration says that this was not a spontaneous reaction, but a premeditated act.

How many students have been identified? 

The statement mentioned that approximately 30-35 students were present at the gathering, including prominent names such as Aditi Mishra, Gopika Babu, Sunil Yadav, Danish Ali, Saad Azmi, Mehboob Ilahi, Kanishk, Pakiza Khan, Shubham, and others.

"Such slogans are completely inconsistent with democratic dissent, violate the JNU Code of Conduct, and can seriously affect the peace, harmony, and security of the university and the nation. They demonstrate a deliberate disregard for constitutional institutions and the established norms of civil discourse. All stakeholders must understand the clear distinction between dissent, abusive language, and hate speech," the stament read.