In response to the Supreme Court of India denying bail to activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the so-called 2020 northeast Delhi riots conspiracy case, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students staged a protest march inside the campus, raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. 

The protest was led by JNU Students’ Union president Aditi Mishra, who said it was part of the annual demonstration to condemn the violence that erupted on January 5, 2020. Some of the slogans raised included “Modi-Shah tairi kabr khudagi, JNU ki dharti par” (Modi-Shah, your grave will be dug on JNU’s land). 

The protest drew mixed reactions. Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa labelled the students “desh ke dushman” (enemies of the country), while Congress leader Udit Raj defended them, stating that the students were expressing resentment against the Supreme Court verdict. 

During the January 2020 violence at JNU, masked mobs attacked three hostels with sticks, stones, and iron rods, leaving at least 28 people injured, including former Students’ Union president Aishe Ghosh. Delhi Police were widely criticised for inaction during the attack and for naming student leaders in FIRs connected to the incident. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)