“JNU Slogans Against PM Follow Bail Rejection for Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam”

Slogans targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi echoed across Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Monday after the Supreme Court denied bail to student activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam.

The two, in jail for over five years, face charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with a “larger conspiracy” behind the 2020 Delhi riots. Sources said some slogans at JNU’s Sabarmati Hostel referenced coffins and Modi’s name, suggesting a direct threat. Danish, joint secretary of the Left-backed JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU), and Sunil, its secretary, were present, with other Left-aligned student groups also participating.

Khalid and Imam had previously been active in Left-backed protests at JNU alongside former students Kanhaiya Kumar and Shehla Rashid, who have since distanced themselves from campus activism.

A Supreme Court bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and Prasanna B. Varale said the prosecution had presented a prima facie case against Khalid and Imam, citing their involvement in planning, mobilization, and strategic direction. The bench said this triggered the statutory bar to bail under Section 43D(5) of the UAPA.

While bail was rejected for Khalid and Imam, five others—Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd Saleem Khan, and Shadab Ahmed—were granted relief. The court emphasized that each accused must be assessed individually, noting that Khalid and Imam “stand on a qualitatively different footing” from the others.