The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Sunday objected to the slogans ‘Free Umar Khalid’ and ‘Long Live Naxalbari’, which reportedly surfaced on the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus, and demanded that the administration take strict action against those responsible for the graffiti.
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) earlier alleged that objectionable political graffiti, including these slogans, had been found painted on the walls of the JNU campus. In a statement, the ABVP’s JNU unit accused activists linked to Left student bodies of defacing campus walls with “offensive” slogans. The student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) also alleged that activists inscribed offensive remarks next to a portrait of VD Savarkar.
The claims come days after similar slogans allegedly surfaced on the campus of Jamia Millia Islamia, where protests demanding restoration of its students’ union have escalated, prompting the authorities to move to online classes until further notice.
In a post on X, VHP national spokesperson Vinod Bansal said, “After Jamia Millia Islamia (JMU), slogans such as ‘Free Umar Khalid’ and ‘Long Live Naxalbari’ have now appeared on walls at JNU. A complaint has also surfaced over objectionable writing on a portrait of Veer Savarkar.
“Looks like educational institutions are now being targeted by the anti-national gang — Congress, Communists and extremist elements,” he said. The VHP spokesperson said educational institutions should remain centres of knowledge and dialogue, not places for provocative slogans and the alleged insult of national figures.
ABVP JNU president Mayank Panchal said, “Freedom of thought doesn’t give any ideology the right to disrespect opposing viewpoints or national figures. Writing offensive remarks alongside Savarkar’s portrait and inscribing extremist political slogans on campus walls is not freedom of expression, but an attempt to vitiate the university’s atmosphere.”