JNU Viral Video Controversy: How Ambani-Adani, Modi-Shah Slogans Sparked Outrage on 6th Anniversary of 2020 Sabarmati Attack, Updates Here

New Delhi – Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is once again at the center of a heated debate. A purported viral video shows students outside a hostel chanting provocative slogans like "Ambani Raj's grave will be dug – on JNU's soil," "Adani Raj's grave will be dug – on JNU's soil," and "Modi-Shah's grave will be dug – on JNU's soil." The footage has ignited a firestorm on social media, with accusations of sedition and threats flying from all sides.

According to a statement from the JNU Students' Union (JNUSU), the event was a candlelight march organized on January 5, 2026, to mark the sixth anniversary of the violent attack on students and faculty at the Sabarmati Hostel in JNU on January 5, 2020. The march aimed to commemorate the brutal assault that left dozens injured and exposed deep divisions within the campus.

The JNUSU statement alleges that the 2020 attack was meticulously planned by individuals linked to the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the RSS. It claims the masked mob targeted students and teachers who were peacefully protesting a fee hike. "The violence was premeditated, with specific individuals marked for assault," the statement reads.

In response, Mayank Panchal, President of JNU's ABVP unit, demanded a "fair and impartial investigation" into the 2020 incident. When pressed on why no action has been taken by Delhi Police even after six years, labeling it a failure of the force, Panchal evaded a direct answer.

Aishie Ghosh, the then-JNUSU President and a victim of the 2020 attack, reflected on the ongoing trauma: "Every January 5 since 2020, we at JNU remember how such a violent intrusion first shattered our campus. Even after six years, no justice has been served for the assault on me and my comrades." She further accused RSS affiliates of infiltrating the campus with weapons, stored even in professors' offices aligned with the ideology. Ghosh leveled serious charges against the university administration, claiming it was complicit in the violence. The day after the attack, she held a press conference and addressed a public meeting attended by Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone, political analyst Yogendra Yadav, and former JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar. "Not a single impartial probe has ever been conducted," she asserted.

Coincidentally, the candle march on January 5 coincided with a Supreme Court ruling granting bail to five accused in the 2020 Delhi riots. However, the court denied bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, barring them from filing fresh pleas for the next year.

ABVP's JNU Vice President Manish Chaudhary told ANI: "Yesterday, they chanted 'ABVP and RSS's graves will be dug.' ABVP has over 60 lakh members – are they calling to dig the graves of 60 lakh people?" When asked about ABVP's own slogans like "Leftism's grave will be dug – on JNU's soil," and whether it implies targeting left-leaning individuals, Panchal again offered no clear response.

JNUSU President Aditi Mishra clarified: "All slogans during the protest were ideological, not personal attacks on anyone. They were not aimed at targeting individuals."

In a strongly worded statement, the JNU Registrar condemned the event: "The JNU administration has taken serious note of videos from the protest at Sabarmati Hostel. Some JNUSU students were seen raising highly objectionable, inflammatory, and provocative slogans. This has been escalated to competent authorities, and the security wing has been directed to assist police in the probe."

"Such slogans violate JNU's code of conduct and could severely impact public order, campus atmosphere, and the security of the university and the nation," the statement added.

On January 7, the JNU Teachers' Association (JNUTA) issued a scathing rebuttal, condemning the administration's "repressive attitude" toward students and the mainstream media's "trial by media" against JNU protesters. "The administration, through its Chief Security Officer, has absurdly urged Delhi Police to file an FIR merely for slogans at a program commemorating the sixth anniversary of the January 5, 2020 attack. The administration and Delhi Police – the very entities that failed to prevent the criminal violence six years ago and couldn't identify or act against the perpetrators – are now weaponizing this," the JNUTA statement said.

It drew parallels to the 2016 sedition row, accusing the move of sidelining truth to "legitimize crushing all dissent and destroy the university's democratic ethos."

Efforts to reach the Vasant Kunj Police Station SHO and university officials for comment went unanswered at the time of filing this report.

Six years ago, a mob of masked intruders stormed the JNU campus, attacking students in three hostels with sticks, stones, and iron rods. Around 30 students suffered serious injuries. JNUSU leaders at the time accused Delhi Police of providing cover to the rioters.

The incident continues to symbolize the ideological fault lines at JNU, with calls for justice growing louder amid fresh controversies.

- The author is a Postgraduate Student (Performance Studies) at Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University Delhi.