Students of Jadavpur University (JU) in Kolkata held a rally in support of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar on Tuesday evening. At the march, they raised slogans that were reported to be "anti-Indian" by the media.
Their slogans reportedly mentioned the names of Afzal Guru, who was hanged in 2013 for his involvement in the 2001 Parliament attacks, and Kashmiri professor SAR Gilani, who was arrested on Tuesday on sedition charges for allegedly organising an event to mark Guru's third death anniversary at the Press Club of India.
"Afzal bole azaadi, Gilani bole azaadi... Jab Kashmir ne mangi azaadi, Manipur bhi boli azaadi (Afzal called for freedom, Gilani called for freedom... When Kashmir asked for freedom, Manipur too called for freedom," students shouted at the rally, Daily News & Analysis reports.
Times Now aired a video of the rally where students allegedly resorted to anti-India sloganeering.
Several universities across the country have come out in support of Kanhaiya Kumar, who was arrested on charges sedition and criminal conspiracy for organising the event on Feb. 9 against the hanging of Guru and allegedly shouting anti-India slogans. He has been sent to police custody till Feb. 17.
The Central government faced backlash over police crackdown at the JNU campus, which led to Kumar's arrest.
Students of Jadavpur University hold protest march in Kolkata, anti-national slogans raised. pic.twitter.com/9ofe2RuXiO
— ANI (@ANI_news) February 16, 2016