JNUSU office-bearers involved in anti-PM Modi, HM Shah slogans: ABVP

New Delhi, Jan 6 (IANS) The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) unit of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Tuesday strongly condemned the controversial sloganeering directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah at the university campus, claiming that even the officer-bearers of the student body, led by the Left, were involved in the protests. 

The ABVP has demanded a police investigation into the incident and strict action against those involved.

Several Left-wing student organisations at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) raised these slogans during a gathering at the 'Guerrilla Dhaba' on the university campus.

The incident took place on Monday evening, shortly after the Supreme Court denied bail to former JNU students Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots case.

Around 30 to 40 students affiliated with the Democratic Students' Federation (DSF), the All India Students' Association (AISA) and the Students' Federation of India (SFI) staged a protest, raising anti-government slogans at the campus.

Among the slogans shouted was "Modi-Shah ki kabra khudegi, JNU ki dharti par."

ABVP (JNU unit) leader Manish Choudhary claimed that the office-bearers of JNU -- President, Vice President, Joint Secretary, Secretary -- along with past members and alumni, were present during the sloganeering at the university campus.

Speaking to IANS, Choudhary said, "These individuals gathered ordinary students under the pretext of other issues or protests, and then steered them in a particular direction to ultimately protest against the Supreme Court's decision rejecting the bail petition and raising controversial slogans against the Prime Minister and Home Minister."

He further mentioned that some protestors raised slogans against ABVP and RSS also, adding that such actions "undermine India's social harmony and the efforts of those working day and night for the nation's progress".

Condemning the incident, he said, "I strongly condemn these acts and urge the administration and police to take strict action against those responsible."

"We will lodge a formal complaint with the campus administration regarding this matter and also urge the police to take suo motu cognisance and initiate strict action. All individuals involved should be held accountable. Those on the JNU campus supporting Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid must also face action, as their place is in jail," Choudhary further mentioned.

ABVP JNU Secretary Praveen Piyush slammed the protestors for "romanticising" the Delhi riots convicts.

Speaking to IANS, he alleged, "They are not students; they are Left-wing extremists and extremist organisations. Under the guise of propaganda, they carry out such activities. As you may have seen a few days ago, a mayor from the United States sent a letter to Umar Khalid. This shows how, under foreign propaganda, they have consistently been attacking India's sovereignty."

"Such acts are completely condemnable... I want to ask whose grave they want to dig? The Prime Minister's? The Supreme Court's? The Constitution?" he added.

--IANS

sd/rad