A controversial poster calling for freedom of Kashmir and Palestine surfaced in the campus of Jawaharlal Nehru University on March 3, prompting the administration to order its immediate removal.
The poster with “Freedom for Kashmir! Free Palestine! Right to Self Determination Long Live! DSU” written on it was pasted on the wall by Democratic Students Union (DSU), an ultra left outfit.
DSU’s former members Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya and others had last year organised the controversial event to commemorate the parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and Kashmiri separatist Maqbool Bhat. Alleged anti-national slogans were raised during the rally that led to police slapping sedition cases on these students.
Khalid, Bhattacharya and former student union president Kanhaiya Kumar are out on bail in a sedition case over the event.
“The university has already lost precious time and energy in such unnecessary controversies. Unfortunately, a small group of people are still trying to create another ruckus and vitiate the academic environment, a senior university official told PTI.
“We don’t know who put up the poster as this has been the pattern in JNU. However, the administration has asked the staff to bring it down.” he said.
However, a student affiliated to a Left group, but not from DSU, told Times of India: “The poster has been there for three-four days. But this is nothing new as such posters from DSU keep emerging at the start of sessions.”
