Jadavpur University anti-national mindset created by CPM then TMC: Bengal CM Adhikari
Synopsis
West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari used a 10,000-voice Vande Mataram event on Raksha Bandhan to deliver his sharpest attack yet on Jadavpur University, blaming 34 years of Communist rule followed by TMC governance for what he called a systematic anti-national culture — and vowing to replicate the 'cleansing' he claims happened at JNU and Osmania University.
Key Takeaways
West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari on 28 August blamed the CPM and TMC for fostering an anti-national mindset at Jadavpur University .
Adhikari spoke at a Raksha Bandhan event where 10,000 people collectively sang Vande Mataram .
He criticised 'Azadi' slogans on campus and alleged that the same groups stayed silent on soldier deaths but marched after Operation Sindoor .
He warned those raising 'Kashmir Mange Azadi' slogans, citing Operation Sindoor's targeting of Masood Azhar's family.
Adhikari pledged to evict former students from JU hostels and end drug consumption on campus.
He compared the planned JU action to the alleged removal of anti-national forces from JNU and Osmania University .
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday, 28 August accused both the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) of systematically cultivating an anti-national culture within Jadavpur University (JU) in Kolkata, calling it a betrayal of an institution meant to be a centre of academic excellence.
What Adhikari Said at the Raksha Bandhan Event
Speaking at a function where 10,000 voices sang the full Vande Mataram, Adhikari said the Communists, who governed West Bengal for 34 years, first entrenched opposition to nationalistic practices on the JU campus. He then trained his criticism on the TMC, which he described as a 'pro-Islamist force' whose agenda, he alleged, was to establish Urdu as the second official language in West Bengal. 'Both of them are responsible for creating an anti-nationalist mindset in the state,' he said.
On 'Azadi' Slogans and Operation Sindoor
Adhikari also took sharp aim at students and groups raising 'Azadi' slogans within the JU campus. 'What kind of freedom are you looking for? Do you want the freedom of consuming drugs within the university campus?' he said. He further alleged that the same groups that stayed silent when Indian armed forces personnel died fighting terrorists had organised peace marches following Operation Sindoor. The Chief Minister issued a pointed warning to those raising 'Kashmir Mange Azadi' slogans, saying Indian forces had 'killed almost the entire family of Masood Azhar' through Operation Sindoor and would 'occupy Pakistan-occupied Kashmir also very soon.'
JU Compared to JNU and Osmania University
Drawing a parallel with Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi and Osmania University in Hyderabad, Adhikari said anti-national forces had been ousted from both campuses and that a similar cleansing was imminent at JU. 'The nationalist uprising had happened in West Bengal, and so JU will also be cleansed of such anti-nationalist forces,' he said.
Warning Over Kishenji Slogans and Campus Menaces
The Chief Minister also flagged slogans on JU walls in support of slain Maoist leader Koteswar Rao, known by the alias Kishenji, who was killed in a police encounter in West Bengal in November 2011. 'He is one who did not believe in the Indian Constitution,' Adhikari said. He further pledged to end two specific problems on campus: the occupation of university hostels by former students after graduation, and the consumption of narcotic substances within the campus.
Point of View
He positions the BJP as the sole nationalist alternative in West Bengal — a framing that will intensify ahead of the next state election. The JNU comparison is deliberate: that narrative helped consolidate a national-level perception of campus 'anti-nationalism' that the BJP leveraged electorally. What is absent from Adhikari's speech is any engagement with academic freedom concerns or due process for students — the rhetoric of 'cleansing' universities carries its own risks, and mainstream coverage has largely not pressed him on where that line sits.
NationPress
28 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari say about Jadavpur University?
Adhikari said both the CPM and TMC had systematically built an anti-national mindset at Jadavpur University — the CPM by opposing nationalistic practices during its 34-year rule, and the TMC by what he called a pro-Islamist agenda. He vowed to cleanse the campus of anti-national forces, drugs, and illegal hostel occupants.
Why did Adhikari criticise 'Azadi' slogans at JU?
He questioned what kind of freedom the slogan-raisers sought, alleging they were silent when soldiers died but marched for peace after Operation Sindoor. He also warned those raising 'Kashmir Mange Azadi' slogans that Indian forces would act decisively on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Who is Kishenji and why did Adhikari mention him?
Kishenji was the alias of Maoist leader Koteswar Rao, killed in a police encounter in West Bengal in November 2011. Adhikari flagged 'Red Salute Kishenji' slogans on JU walls, calling him someone who did not believe in the Indian Constitution.
How did Adhikari compare JU to JNU and Osmania University?
He claimed anti-national forces had already been ousted from JNU in New Delhi and Osmania University in Hyderabad, and said a similar process would now unfold at Jadavpur University as part of what he called a nationalist uprising in West Bengal.
What specific campus problems did Adhikari pledge to fix at JU?
Adhikari committed to ending two practices: former students continuing to occupy university hostels after graduation, and the consumption of narcotic substances within the campus.
