Delhi Police register an FIR over slogans against PM Modi, Amit Shah during JNU protest

A late-night protest at Jawaharlal Nehru University to commemorate the January 2020 campus violence triggered a fresh controversy after allegations surfaced that provocative slogans were raised against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The gathering, held days after the Supreme Court denied bail to activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam. following which the university administration cautioned that students found involved could face disciplinary action, including suspension, expulsion or debarment as it asked the Delhi Police to file an FIR.

According to a complaint filed by the university’s Chief Security Officer (CSO) at the Vasant Kunj (North) police station, the gathering was held around 10 pm on January 5, 2026, outside Sabarmati Hostel. It was organised by JNUSU under the banner “A Night of Resistance with Guerrilla Dhaba,”. It was originally planned to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the January 5, 2020 campus violence.
Chief Security Officer said “Around 30–35 students were present at the protest, including JNUSU president Aditi Mishra, Gopika Babu, Sunil Yadav, Danish Ali, Saad Azmi, Mehboob Ilahi, Kanishk, Pakeeza Khan and Shubham, among others. The group allegedly raised highly objectionable, provocative and inflammatory slogans against Modi, Shah, and industrialists Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani”
Unverified videos of the protest showing students purportedly shouting the slogans such as Modi-Shah ki kabar khudegi, JNU ki dharti par( Modi-Shah’s Grave will be dug on the JNU soil) “Such slogans were inconsistent with democratic forms of dissent and in violation of the JNU Code of Conduct. The slogans were reportedly clearly audible, deliberate, and repeatedly raised, with the potential to disturb public order, campus harmony, and university security” He added.

Following a complaint filed by the JNU administration on January 6, 2026, regarding an incident that occurred on January 5, 2026, Delhi Police registered an FIR under Sections 352, 353(1), and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Deputy Commissioner of Police (South West) Amit Goel said
The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) said the protest was peaceful and aimed at remembering the 2020 attacks, where masked assailants injured over 25 people at Sabarmati Hostel. It had organised a demonstration on 5 January 2026 to keep the memory of 2020 attacks on JNU alive and to highlight the pattern of injustice at Sabarmati Hostel… The JNUSU stands for peaceful and democratic modes of agitation”.
JNUSU accused sections of the media of mischaracterising the event to deflect from real issues and called the backlash an “organised attempt to defame JNU and intensify the persecution of students.” They questioned the lack of arrests in the 2020 violence case, asking, “Where is Komal Sharma and the ABVP goons who accepted planning and executing the attack?”
JNUSU President Aditi Mishra, named in the complaint, defended the slogans as “ideological in nature and not intended as personal attacks” or directed at any individual. She emphasised that the chants reflected dissent against alleged inaction in the 2020 case and broader ideological differences, rather than threats against constitutional posts

The Jawaharlal Nehru University administration has vowed the strictest action against students found raising objectionable slogans against Hon’ble Prime Minister and Hon’ble Home Minister. An FIR has already been lodged in the matter. Universities are centres for innovation and new ideas, and they cannot be permitted to be converted into laboratories of hate. Freedom of speech and expression is a fundamental right. But any form of violence, unlawful conduct or anti-national activity will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Students involved in this incident will also face disciplinary measures including immediate suspension, expulsion and permanent debarment from the University.” the university said on X.

“Universities are centres for innovation and new ideas, and they cannot be permitted to be converted into laboratories of hate. Freedom of speech and expression is a fundamental right.

But any form of violence, unlawful conduct or anti-national activity will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Students involved in this incident will also face disciplinary measures including immediate suspension, expulsion and permanent debarment from the university,” it added

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) JNU unit, affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), strongly condemned the incident. Mayank Panchal, President, ABVP-JNU, alleged that controversial and threatening slogans were raised during a protest organised by the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) and Left-affiliated student groups on January 5 at Sabarmati Point inside the JNU campus.

Speaking to News Network Plus, Mayank said the protest began around 10 pm and slogans such as “Modi, teri qabar khudegi JNU ki dharti par” and “Amit Shah, teri qabar khudegi JNU ki dharti par” were raised. He claimed that counter-slogans targeting ABVP members were also heard during the gathering.

According to Mayank, such slogans go beyond the scope of democratic dissent and amount to threats against constitutional authorities. “Raising slogans that imply killing or threatening anyone, especially the Prime Minister and the Home Minister, cannot be justified as peaceful protest or freedom of expression,” he said.

He further said that the use of the term “qabar” (grave) was particularly objectionable, claiming it carried religious connotations and amounted to intimidation. “This is not dissent. Article 19 allows freedom of speech, but it comes with reasonable restrictions. Threatening slogans violate public order and the right to life under Article 21,” he added.

Mayank said ABVP has filed two complaints, one with the JNU administration and another with the Vasant Kunj North police station, seeking strict disciplinary action against students involved in raising the slogans. “We have demanded structural punishment and strict action so that such slogan-raising stops on campus. Universities are meant for research, innovation, and debate not hate,” he said.

He rejected the claim that the slogans were merely symbolic or ideological. “If you don’t like a political leader, you can oppose them democratically. But saying ‘we will kill you’ cannot be defended as dissent,” he stated.

“ABVP would continue to pursue the matter through institutional and legal channels and has sought action to ensure campus harmony and safety” He added.

The controversy has drawn reactions from beyond the campus. BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari strongly condemned it and said “Urban Naxals in support of Anti National Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam protested late night in JNU outside Sabarmati Hostel.This is not protest, this appropriation of Anti India Thought”

However, Former Rajya Sabha MP Jawahar Sircar said, justifying it “JNU Students Who Shouted Controversial Slogans Face Suspension, Expulsion; FIR Filed. This is Fascism! If students don’t protest, who will? 70 year olds? Just because RSS never protested against British Rule, does Modi want all to be robotic compliant?”

This incident revives memories of past JNU rows over slogans, including the 2016 sedition case, and underscores the fragile balance between protest rights and perceived threats in India’s academic spaces.