Amid a fresh controversy over alleged sloganeering against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the campus environment, branding it a stronghold of what he termed the “tukde-tukde gang.”
His remarks came after reports surfaced claiming that slogans were raised on campus following the Supreme Court’s decision to deny bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case.
Giriraj Singh Targets ‘Anti-National Mindsets’
Singh alleged that individuals with “anti-national mindsets,” including Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and leaders from parties such as the RJD, TMC and Left groups, were backing such activities. Invoking Swami Vivekananda, the Union Minister asserted that nationalism would eventually triumph over divisive ideologies.
“JNU has become the office of the ‘Tukde-Tukde Gang,’ and people with anti-national mindsets like Rahul Gandhi, whether they belong to the RJD, TMC, or the Left parties. They shouldn’t forget that this is India; this is Narendra Modi’s India of the 21st century.
Vivekananda said that saffron will prevail… I want to tell the ‘Tukde-Tukde Gang’ that those who support people like Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, who harbored pro-Pakistan sentiments and talked about separating the Chicken’s Neck corridor, are traitors,” Singh said.
Political Reactions and Campus Concerns
Adding to the criticism, ABVP’s JNU unit Vice President Manish Choudhary claimed that such sloganeering has become frequent on campus. He questioned the intent behind the slogans and welcomed the Supreme Court’s rejection of bail pleas.
“Yesterday, there were slogans raised in JNU. Such sloganeering at JNU is common now. ABVP-RSS has over crores of workers. Are they talking about digging the crores of garves of crores of workers? We welcome the order of the Supreme Court rejecting the bail pleas of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam,” he told ANI.
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya emphasized the importance of judicial processes, stating, “Overall, this country has a judicial process; whatever happens in that is happening. The country will not accept this kind of sloganeering.”
Echoing similar sentiments, Uttar Pradesh Minister Dayashankar Singh remarked, “In JNU, they study with India’s money and hold a foreign mindset; the country should remain cautious of such people.”
The controversy follows the Supreme Court’s denial of bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the case related to the alleged larger conspiracy behind the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.
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