'Modi-Shah ki kabar khudegi’: Controversial slogans at JNU spark political firestorm

The BJP on Tuesday condemned the controversial slogans raised by a group of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah during a protest against the denial of bail to activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case.

The protest took place on Monday night, hours after the Supreme Court denied bail to the duo, stating that there was a prima facie case against them under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The top court granted bail to activists Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd. Saleem Khan, and Shadab Ahmad in the same case.

A purported video of the JNU protest, shared on social media, showed some students raising controversial slogans such as 'Modi-Shah ki kabar khudegi’ inside the campus.

Condemning the incident, Delhi minister Kapil Mishra said it reflected the “frustration” of those who support terrorists and Naxals.

"Some people raise slogans against the nation, religion, and the verdict of the Supreme Court, in support of Afzal Guru, terrorists, and Naxals. The Naxals and terrorists are being eliminated, and for those who conspired against Delhi, the Supreme Court has announced its verdict, so this is just their frustration," Mishra told ANI.

Mishra’s cabinet colleagues, Ashish Sood and Manjinder Singh Sirsa, also condemned the incident and blamed the Opposition for supporting those who engage in such acts.

"Sharjeel Imam spoke about separating Northeast India. Umar Khalid raised slogans of 'India will be broken into pieces,' and his involvement was found in the 2020 riots. Such people are shown sympathy because there are people in this Assembly who shared a stage with Sharjeel Imam," Sood told reporters.

Sirsa alleged that those who raised the slogans had no regard for the Constitution or the law.

“These are separatist people. Raising such slogans against the Prime Minister and Home Minister is extremely shameful. The AAP and Congress have always supported such people," he said.

BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said that such sloganeering by the students reflects an unconstitutional, anti-national mindset. "The slogans chanted in JNU indicate that these individuals are part of an 'anti-national urban Naxal gang' seeking to divide the country. Ever since the Supreme Court’s verdict against Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid, this 'Tukde Tukde ecosystem' has been in turmoil," he said.