‘Wilful Disrespect’: JNU seeks FIR against students over objectionable slogans during campus event

The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration has approached the Delhi Police seeking registration of an FIR against students who allegedly raised “highly objectionable, provocative and inflammatory slogans” during a campus gathering on the night of January 5.

The incident occurred outside the Sabarmati hostel during a student-organised event called “A Night of Resistance with Guerrilla Dhaba” held to mark the sixth anniversary of the 2020 campus violence. While initially commemorative in nature, the gathering’s tone “changed significantly”, according to a letter sent by JNU’s chief security officer to the Station House Officer, Vasant Kunj (North) police station.

The university claims certain students associated with the JNUSU raised slogans that were “inconsistent with democratic dissent” and in contempt of Supreme Court observations in related cases. It said the slogans had the potential to disturb public order, campus harmony and the security environment of the campus.

The slogans were “clearly deliberate and repeated, indicating intentional misconduct rather than spontaneous expression,” the JNU letter stated, requesting an FIR under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

On January 5, 2020, students and teachers were attacked on campus by a mob during protests against a proposed hostel fee hike. The demonstrations on Monday were in remembrance of the January 5 incident.

JNU statement on campus conduct

In a separate statement, the JNU registrar said the administration has taken “very serious cognizance” of videos of the protest being circulated on social media. The statement reiterated that such acts violate the JNU Code of Conduct and reflect “wilful disrespect for constitutional institutions and norms of civil and democratic discourse”.

The administration called upon all stakeholders to cooperate in maintaining peace and harmony on campus, warning that strict action will be taken as per rules in case of violations. The statement also said the university’s security branch has been asked to cooperate with police in the investigation.

JNU campus protests

On January 9, 2016, a similar controversy had erupted on the JNU campus after students were allegedly heard raising anti-India slogans during an event marking the death anniversary of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

The then JNU Students’ Union president Kanhaiya Kumar, along with fellow students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, were charged with sedition and arrested.

A total of 38 others were named in the chargesheet, though no action was taken against them due to lack of evidence. The episode triggered months-long protests on campus, following which the university constituted a committee to examine the matter.

The Supreme Court has recently rejected the bail plea of Khalid.