JNU vows strict action after provocative slogans against PM Modi and Amit Shah, says campus cannot become ‘laboratories of hate’

The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration on Tuesday issued a strong warning following reports of “provocative slogans” being raised against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on campus, asserting that universities cannot be allowed to turn into “laboratories of hate”.

In an official statement posted on X, the JNU administration said it would take the strictest possible action against students found involved in raising objectionable slogans targeting the country’s top leadership. The university stressed that while freedom of speech and expression is a fundamental right, it does not extend to unlawful conduct, violence or activities deemed anti-national.

“The Jawaharlal Nehru University administration has vowed the strictest action against students found raising objectionable slogans against the Hon’ble Prime Minister and Hon’ble Home Minister. An FIR has already been lodged in the matter,” the university said in its post.

However, the situation appeared less clear on the law enforcement front. Police officials later confirmed that an FIR had not yet been formally registered, even as the university maintained that legal steps had been initiated. The discrepancy has added to the controversy surrounding the incident and the administrative response to it.

Reiterating its stance on the role of higher education institutions, the JNU administration said universities are meant to be centres of learning, innovation and critical thinking, not spaces that foster hostility or hate. “Universities are centres for innovation and cannot be permitted to be converted into laboratories of hate,” the statement said.

The administration warned that students found guilty after due process would face severe disciplinary action. These measures could include immediate suspension, expulsion from the university and even permanent debarment from the institution.

JNU has historically been at the centre of several political and ideological controversies, often triggering national debates on free speech, dissent and campus politics. The latest incident has once again brought these issues into sharp focus, with the administration drawing a clear line between permissible expression and conduct it considers unacceptable.

University authorities said they would cooperate fully with investigating agencies and ensure that campus discipline is maintained. The matter is expected to remain under close scrutiny as both administrative and legal processes unfold.