New DelhiIn relation to a widely shared video in which disparaging remarks were made on the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus, the Delhi Police have filed a formal complaint. The incident happened on January 5 after Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid's bail requests were denied by the Supreme Court.
The Chief Security Officer of JNU at Police Station Vasant Kunj North filed a formal complaint on January 6, according to police officials. Concerns about the actions shown in the widely shared video, which allegedly caused disturbances on the university campus, were detailed in the complaint.
Before registering the case, the police looked over the complaint and the information they had. The assessment led to the filing of a formal complaint under Section 353 for acts related to disturbing public peace and Section 352 for making provocative statements.
Notably, during a demonstration against the January 2020 campus violence, offensive slogans were chanted against Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
JNU administrator promises actionThe JNU administration announced on Tuesday that it would take the harshest disciplinary action against students who were allegedly involved in shouting offensive slogans directed at Home Minister Shah and Prime Minister Modi during a protest that took place on campus on Monday. The university issued a warning that anyone found guilty could be subject to harsh penalties, such as immediate suspension, expulsion, and permanent disqualification from the school.
The university stated that although the right to free speech and expression is fundamental, universities should not be permitted to turn into places of hatred because they are hubs for learning and innovation.
The JNU student union claims that the January 5 event was "misinterpreted."After the contentious video went viral on social media, the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) stated that it is still dedicated to democratic and nonviolent forms of protest.
The student body said in a statement that its agitation tactics have always been democratic and non-violent. Concerns were also expressed about the Delhi Police's alleged inability to provide justice to victims of the 2020 campus violence.
The union also charged that some media outlets were misrepresenting recent events. Such reporting, according to JNUSU, damages the university's reputation by diverting attention from the primary problems that students face.