The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Sunday, 25 October alleged that slogans including 'Free Umar Khalid' and 'Long Live Naxalbari' appeared on the campus of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi, prompting sharp condemnation from National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders who accused those involved of attempting to spread 'terrorism'.

The Alleged Incident at JNU

The ABVP alleged the sloganeering surfaced on the JNU campus, though the exact circumstances and authorship of the slogans were not independently verified at the time of reporting. The development comes days after 'Free Kashmir' slogans reportedly appeared on the walls of Jamia Millia Islamia University, where students are also conducting a hunger strike demanding the restoration of their students' union — a separate but connected flashpoint in Delhi's university politics.

What NDA Leaders Said

Union Minister Giriraj Singh accused those behind the alleged sloganeering of attempting to 'spread terrorism.' He further alleged that 'the leader of such people are sitting abroad and Rahul Gandhi is the one leading (such acts) in the country.' Singh also questioned the silence of the Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal over the slogans, warning that if Congress leader Rahul Gandhi did not react, 'it would be understood that his opinion is same as that of former Jammu and Kashmir CM Farooq Abdullah' — who drew controversy on Saturday after reportedly crediting Pakistan for 'saving' Kashmiris.

Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra alleged that those at JNU and Jamia Millia Islamia 'want to fool the public and talk about dividing India,' calling the broader pattern an effort to 'spread anarchy across the country.' He added that the police would carry out 'appropriate treatment' for such slogans.

BJP National Spokesperson RP Singh said both Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam are in detention because they 'talked about separating Kashmir, talked about separating India's Northeast, raised slogans in support of Afzal Guru, and attempted to create anarchy within the country,' adding that those raising or supporting such slogans must 'reflect on whether they stand with the nation or against it.'

Shiv Sena leader Anand Dubey asked rhetorically: 'What are they thinking about our country? Is this Pakistan?... This is new Bharat.' He invoked the names of freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev, arguing 'there is no place for Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam' in India's public imagination. Dubey also pointed to recent Delhi University student union poll results as evidence of public sentiment against such positions.

The Opposition Response

In a notably measured response, All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) Member of Parliament Saugata Roy declined to condemn the students, saying: 'They (those in JNU) are adults and will do whatever they think is right.' No formal response from Congress, the Samajwadi Party, or AAP was available at the time of publication.

Background and Broader Context

This is not the first time sloganeering at JNU has drawn national political attention. The university has been a recurring site of controversy over free speech, sedition, and student activism since at least 2016, when slogans at a campus event led to the arrest of then-student union president Kanhaiya Kumar on sedition charges — charges that were later contested in court. Umar Khalid, currently in custody under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots, was also a student at JNU at the time of that controversy. The recurrence of such episodes on university campuses signals an ongoing tension between student expression and the legal and political boundaries the government draws around dissent.