"Who support Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam are traitors": Giriraj Singh on reported sloganeering against PM Modi, Amit Shah in JNU

Pune (Maharashtra) [India], January 6 (ANI): Amid 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 strongly criticised the campus atmosphere, claiming it has become a hub for what he described as the “tukde-tukde gang.”

Singh alleged that individuals with what he termed “anti-national mindsets,” including Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and members of parties such as the RJD, TMC, and Left groups, support such activities. Referring to Swami Vivekananda, he asserted that nationalism would ultimately prevail.

He further warned that those backing figures like Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, whom he accused of expressing pro-Pakistan views and advocating the separation of the strategic “Chicken’s Neck” corridor, should be viewed as traitors.

"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 harboured pro-Pakistan sentiments and talked about separating the Chicken's Neck corridor, are traitors," Singh said.

Meanwhile, ABVP’s JNU unit Vice President Manish Choudhary claimed that slogans were raised on campus, stating that such sloganeering has become frequent. Questioning the intent behind such statements, he pointed out that ABVP and RSS have a large national presence. Choudhary also welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to reject the bail pleas of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam.

"Yesterday, there were slogans raised in JNU. Such sloganeering at JNU is common now. ABVP-RSS have 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 commented that the country follows a judicial process and emphasised that the nation would not accept such slogans.

"Overall, this country has a judicial process; whatever happens in that is happening. The country will not accept this kind of sloganeering," Maurya told ANI.

Echoing similar concerns, Uttar Pradesh Minister Dayashankar Singh stated that while students study at JNU using public funds, some display what he described as a “foreign mindset,” adding that the country should remain vigilant toward such tendencies.

"In JNU, they study with India's money and hold a foreign mindset; the country should remain cautious of such people," Singh told ANI.

According to media reports, the remarks came after a group of JNU students on Monday raised slogans against Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on campus, following the Supreme Court’s denial of bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case.

On Monday, the Supreme Court denied bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in a case alleging a larger conspiracy behind the 2020 north-east Delhi riots. (ANI)