The Search for Justice and the Defamation Row: What is Happening at JNU?

​The campus of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has once again become the center of a national debate. This time, the spark was ignited during a vigil held on January 5, 2026, marking the sixth anniversary of the brutal 2020 campus violence. What was intended as a "Night of Resistance" quickly turned into a massive controversy involving allegations of provocative slogans, police complaints, and a sharp counter-question from the student body: "Where is Komal Sharma?"

​The situation highlights a deep divide between the university administration and the students. While the administration accuses students of creating "laboratories of hate," the JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) claims there is an organized attempt to defame the institution and silence democratic dissent.

​The Vigil and the Viral Slogans

​On Monday night, a group of students gathered near the Sabarmati Hostel to commemorate the 2020 attacks. This hostel was the primary target during the infamous masked-mob violence six years ago. However, the tone of the gathering reportedly shifted following news of the Supreme Court’s decision to deny bail to former JNU students Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam.

​Videos soon began circulating on social media, purportedly showing students raising "objectionable and provocative" slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. The JNU administration acted swiftly, describing these slogans as "hate speech" and "contempt of the Supreme Court." They filed a formal complaint with the Delhi Police, naming several students, including current JNUSU president Aditi Mishra.

​JNUSU Fires Back: An Attempt to Defame

​The JNU Students’ Union was quick to respond to the allegations. In a strongly worded statement, the union claimed that the narrative around "provocative slogans" is being used to deflect attention from real issues. They argued that a section of the media is misrepresenting the event to "intensify the persecution of students" and paint the entire university in a negative light.

​According to the JNUSU, the vigil was a peaceful exercise of their constitutional right to dissent. They accused the administration of being more efficient at filing FIRs against students for democratic protests than at securing justice for victims of actual physical violence. This brings us to the most persistent question in the JNU saga.

​The Mystery of Komal Sharma

​"Where is Komal Sharma?" This question has been echoed by students for six years. In January 2020, a masked mob armed with rods and sticks entered the JNU campus, attacking students and teachers. Images of a woman in a check shirt, her face partially covered and carrying a stick, went viral. She was later identified by various media outlets and student groups as Komal Sharma, a student from Delhi University associated with the ABVP.

​Despite her identity being discussed on national television and in various "sting operations," the Delhi Police have not made a single arrest in the case. The JNUSU highlighted this "pattern of injustice," pointing out the irony of the police's "extraordinary efficiency" in naming students in new FIRs while the 2020 attackers remain free. For the students, Komal Sharma has become a symbol of institutional bias.

​"Laboratories of Hate" vs. "Democratic Spaces"

​The JNU administration has used harsh language to describe the recent events. They stated that the university is a center for innovation and cannot be permitted to be converted into "laboratories of hate." They argue that the slogans raised were not just ideological but had the potential to seriously disrupt public order and campus harmony.

​On the other side, student leaders like Aditi Mishra maintain that the slogans were ideological expressions against government policies and not personal attacks. They argue that labeling a campus as a "lab of hate" for expressing dissent is a dangerous path that undermines the very essence of a university as a space for critical thinking and debate.

​The Role of Media and Public Perception

​A major part of the JNUSU's defense is centered on the role of the media. They claim that "journalistic ethics" have been cast aside in favor of a "slander campaign." By focusing solely on a few seconds of sloganeering rather than the six-year-long wait for justice, the union believes the media is siding with the government to target JNU.

​This is not the first time JNU has faced such a situation. In 2016, similar allegations of "anti-national" slogans led to a massive national outcry and several arrests. Ten years later, a "similar script" seems to be playing out, suggesting that the university remains a primary battlefield for India’s ideological wars.

​The Legal and Institutional Consequences

​As of now, the Delhi Police are reviewing the evidence provided by the university security branch. The administration has vowed "strictest action" against those found guilty of misconduct. This could mean suspensions, fines, or permanent expulsion for the students involved.

​However, the legal battle over the 2020 violence also continues to simmer in the background. The lack of progress in arresting those identified in the 2020 mob attack remains a significant point of contention in the Supreme Court and high courts. For the students, any disciplinary action taken now will be seen as "selective outrage" as long as the 2020 case remains unsolved.

​Conclusion: A Campus Divided

​The current row at JNU is about much more than just a few slogans. it is a clash between two very different visions of what a university should be. To the administration and its supporters, it is a place for discipline and academic focus where "inflammatory" speech has no place. To the students and their unions, it is a fortress of democracy where the right to question the powerful must be protected at all costs.

​Until the question "Where is Komal Sharma?" is answered with a transparent legal process, the distrust between the students and the authorities is unlikely to fade. The events of January 2026 show that the wounds of 2020 are still very much open, and JNU remains a place where the past and the present are constantly in conflict.