New Delhi: Provocative slogans including ‘Bharat ko ragda do ragda'(India should be stamped out) and ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ were raised at controversial JNU event by a group of masked outsiders, a high-level inquiry committee of the varsity has said.
However, the report said video footages of the February 9 event does not show anyone raising the slogan “Bharat Ki Barbadi tak jung rahegi” (Fight will go on till India is ruined) but claimed that eyewitnesses have confirmed shouting of such slogans in their deposition.
There was no mention in the report of controversial slogan “Bharat ke tukde tukde kar do” (India should be cut to pieces), having been raised. The report prepared by a five-member panel headed by Rakesh Bhatnagar, a professor at the varsity, it was “unfortunate” that the students allowed outsiders to be present and make provocative slogans.
It said holding of the event despite cancellation of permission was an act which amounts to “wilful defiance”. The panel has also noted lapses on part of the university’s security unit, saying it did not make any efforts to stop outsiders from shouting slogans and stop them from leaving the campus.
The committee has stated that though JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar, who has been charged with sedition in connection with the event, reached the venue late but he had objected to the decision of authorities regarding cancellation of permission.
According to the report, Umar Khalid, identified as one of the main organisers of the event, had told the authorities that they will go ahead with the programme and “security can do whatever they want”.
“The presence of a group of outsiders was noted by the security staff and confirmed by many other eyewitnesses. This group of outsiders had their head and face covered by a cloth/scarf most of the time. “This group of people had engaged in shouting the following slogans ‘Kashmir ki azadi tak jang rahegi, jang rahegi’, ‘Bharat ko ragda do ragda… zor se ragdo’, ‘Go India, go back’ and ‘Pakistan Zindabad'” said the report, noting that one student was also seen participating in the sloganeering in the video.
“The organisers disobeyed the instructions from the administration about not holding the event. This amounts to wilful defiance. It is most unfortunate that the organisers allowed the event to be taken over by a group of outsiders who created a charged atmosphere by raising provocative slogans.
“This act by outsiders has brought disrepute to the entire JNU community,” the report said. The report has two sections –findings and recommendations. The enquiry has brought out four major aspects of the entire row – the event, the procession, the sloganeering and the lapses on part of the administration.
The section on findings has been shared by the university with 21 students who have been issued a show-cause notice in this connection but the recommendations have been kept out of public domain.
