JNU seeks FIR over slogans raised against PM, Amit Shah after Umar Khalid denied bail

Jawaharlal Nehru University has written to the Delhi Police seeking registration of an FIR over allegedly “provocative, inflammatory and objectionable” slogans raised against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on its campus. The university said the slogans violated the JNU Code of Conduct and were inconsistent with democratic dissent, with the potential to disturb campus harmony and public order.

According to the written request sent on Tuesday, the slogans were raised during a programme held around 10 pm on Monday outside Sabarmati Hostel. The event was organised to observe the sixth anniversary of the January 5, 2020 campus violence. The administration said the gathering initially focused on commemorating the incident but its nature changed following the Supreme Court verdict denying bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case.

In its letter to the SHO of Vasant Kunj (North), the university alleged that certain students raised slogans that were clearly audible, repetitive and deliberate, amounting to conscious misconduct and “direct contempt” of the Supreme Court. The security department said officials were present at the site and monitored the situation closely. Several students, including JNUSU president Aditi Mishra, were named as prominent participants identified during the programme.

Responding to the controversy, Aditi Mishra said the annual protest was meant to denounce the January 5, 2020 violence and that the slogans were ideological, not personal, and not directed at any individual. The JNU administration said it has taken serious cognisance of videos circulating online, ordered cooperation with the police, and decided to set up an internal inquiry, warning that disciplinary action would follow if violations are established. As of Tuesday afternoon, it was not clear whether an FIR had been registered.