In a firm statement, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has declared it will take the strictest possible action against students who raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a campus protest. The university administration asserted that the institution cannot be a laboratory of hate.
University Issues Stern Warning on Social Media
The warning came via an official post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday. The university administration revealed that an FIR has already been lodged in connection with the incident that occurred on Monday night. The administration's post explicitly stated its commitment to identifying and penalizing students involved in raising what it termed objectionable slogans against the nation's top leaders.
Incident Linked to Supreme Court Bail Denial
The protest, which led to the controversial sloganeering, erupted on the JNU campus hours after a significant legal development. On Monday, the Supreme Court declined to grant bail to former JNU students Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam. Both are accused in the high-profile 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case. The student gathering, which began as a demonstration related to this court order, later witnessed the slogans targeting PM Modi and Home Minister Shah.
Balancing Rights and Responsibilities
In its detailed statement, the JNU administration acknowledged that freedom of speech and expression is a fundamental right. However, it strongly emphasized that universities are primarily centres of learning and innovation. The administration argued that these academic spaces must not be allowed to transform into platforms for spreading hatred. It further clarified that any acts of violence, unlawful conduct, or activities perceived to undermine national unity will face zero tolerance from the university authorities.
The university's decisive stance highlights the ongoing tension on campuses between the principles of free expression and the enforcement of disciplinary codes, especially concerning remarks against elected officials. The incident has once again placed JNU, a university with a long history of political activism, under intense national scrutiny.
