Umar Khalid Verdict: BJP Leaders React To JNU Students Raising Slogans Against PM, Shah
Kapil Mishra, Ashish Sood condemn "those who raise anti-national slogans"; Giriraj Singh, UP MLA joins chorus. JNUSU president says protest was against 2020 on-campus violence.
By PTI
Published : January 6, 2026 at 11:07 AM IST
|Updated : January 6, 2026 at 1:42 PM IST
New Delhi: BJP leaders, especially ministers in the Delhi state government, have reacted strongly to the event that took place at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), during which "controversial" slogans were raised, after party spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari shared a video, allegedly of the event, on his X (formerly Twitter) account. Already, they have raised the issue everywhere, including inside the Delhi Legislative Assembly.
On Monday (January 5) night, after the Supreme Court denied bail to former JNU students Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the 2020 riots conspiracy case, a group of JNU students allegedly raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah inside the university campus.
On Tuesday, responding to the incident, Delhi's Art, Culture and Language Minister Kapil Mishra said, "It's not just about JNU. There are some people who raise such anti-national, anti-religious slogans. They also raise slogans for Afzal Guru, against the Supreme Court's decision, in support of terrorists and Naxalites. But ultimately, their slogans remain just slogans. Naxalites have been eliminated, terrorists have been eliminated, and the Supreme Court has given its verdict against those who conspired against Delhi. So, this is just their frustration."
Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood said making comments that incite violence is reprehensible. "These comments are being made because the bail applications of Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid have been revoked." He added that Umar Khalid was involved in the Delhi riots, and that foreign powers are supporting them.
Sood also said, "Sympathy is shown towards such people because there were people in this gathering who shared the stage with Sharjeel Imam... When you encourage such people, irresponsible elements like these raise their heads at JNU, which I condemn. What happened at JNU, where support sprang for Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid, is reprehensible and against the country."
Union Minister Giriraj Singh also shared his reaction, saying those who raise such slogans are traitors.
Uttar Pradesh MLA Dayashankar Singh, too, jumped in, saying, "They study at JNU with Indian money, but hold a foreign mentality. The country should be wary of such people."
Background: What Happened On January 5, 2020?
In the purported video of the protest, students can be seen shouting slogans condemning PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
Aditi Mishra, the newly-elected president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU), said students hold a protest every year, to condemn the violence that had occurred on the campus on January 5, 2020. "All of the slogans raised at the protest were ideological, and do not attack anyone personally. They were not directed at anyone," said Mishra.
Violence erupted on the campus on January 5, 2020, when a mob of masked men stormed the campus and targeted students in three hostels, unleashing mayhem with sticks, stones and iron rods, hitting inmates and breaking windows, furniture and personal belongings. At least 28 people, including then JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh, were injured as chaos reigned on the campus for nearly two hours.
The Delhi Police had come under attack for not acting when the mob was running riot on the campus, and especially for naming student union leaders, including Ghosh, in the two FIRs related to vandalism on the campus.
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