New Delhi: The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration on Tuesday said it would take strict disciplinary action against students allegedly involved in raising objectionable and inflammatory slogans during a protest on campus on January 5.

The university confirmed that a First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged with the Delhi Police and an internal inquiry has been initiated.

The incident occurred during an event titled “A Night of Resistance with Guerrilla Dhaba” at Sabarmati Dhaba, organised to mark the anniversary of the January 5, 2020, campus violence in which masked attackers had assaulted students and teachers. According to the university, the gathering initially involved around 30–35 students and was meant to commemorate the earlier violence.

However, the administration claimed that the nature of the event changed after the Supreme Court denied bail to former JNU student leaders Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case. Following the verdict, certain participants allegedly raised slogans targeting the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister, which the university described as “highly objectionable, provocative and inflammatory”.

In a letter to the Station House Officer of Vasant Kunj (North), the JNU administration said the slogans amounted to wilful disrespect of constitutional institutions, contempt of the Supreme Court, and violations of the university’s code of conduct. It warned that students found guilty could face immediate suspension, expulsion, and permanent debarment from the university.

The administration named several students, including Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) president Aditi Mishra, stating they were identified during the programme. The university claimed the slogans were deliberate, repeated, and had the potential to disrupt campus harmony, public order, and security.

Responding to the allegations, Mishra told PTI that the protest was part of an annual commemoration of the January 5, 2020 violence and that the slogans raised were ideological in nature. She denied that they were personal attacks or intended to incite disorder.

Senior university officials said an internal inquiry committee is being set up to examine the incident. Disciplinary action, they said, would follow only after due process and based on findings of rule violations.

The episode triggered strong political reactions, particularly from BJP leaders, who criticised the slogans and accused opposition parties of encouraging disruptive campus politics. University authorities, however, maintained that their action was based on institutional norms and the need to distinguish democratic dissent from speech that could lead to disorder.

The JNU registrar, in a statement, said universities must remain centres of learning and innovation and cannot be allowed to become spaces for hate speech or actions that undermine constitutional values. The administration reiterated that while dissent is protected, abuse and inflammatory conduct violate campus rules and legal boundaries.

The Delhi Police are currently examining the complaint, while the university’s internal disciplinary process is underway.