JNUSU Leader Danish Ali on Police Visit to Her Village: “Has Protesting Against Paper Leaks Become a Crime for Women?”

New Delhi- Madhya Pradesh Police visited the village of Danish Ali, Joint Secretary of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU), and questioned her family members and villagers. Danish, who has been actively involved in the ongoing student movement at Jantar Mantar against paper leaks and corruption in the education system, released a video statement condemning the action as an attempt to intimidate her and other protesters.

In her video statement, Danish Ali said:

“Has it now become a crime in this country for women to protest against paper leaks? Has raising questions against the corruption prevailing in the education sector become a crime in this country? Today, the police go to my village and question the villagers and my family members. They try to intimidate them by asking for my phone number, where I live, where my parents live, and what they do…

Danish said that through all this, the police’s only attempt is to scare and intimidate those who were participating in this movement.

Danish asked: ‘Why are you so afraid? Why do you want to suppress our voice by adopting such tactics? I am an adult woman. I am pursuing research at JNU and hold the post of Joint Secretary in the JNU Students’ Union. If you need to question me, come to my hostel and question me. Your politics of fear and intimidation will no longer work in this country, and we are no longer going to be afraid of it.’”

Danish Ali hails from Bandarbarru village in Narsinghpur district of Madhya Pradesh. She is a PhD scholar at the Centre for Historical Studies, JNU, and is associated with the All India Students’ Association (AISA). She played an active role in the Jantar Mantar protests demanding action against paper leaks, reforms in the examination system, and the resignation of the Union Education Minister.

Student organisations have described the police visit as targeted harassment. They allege that the noose is tightening around students and activists who participated in the Jantar Mantar movement, and that questioning family members is an attempt to break the protest.

Danish clarified that she is an adult woman and that if the police have any questions, they should come to her hostel and speak to her directly instead of harassing her family. She asserted that the politics of fear and intimidation will no longer work in this country and that students will not be cowed down by such tactics.

Critics Slam Forcing Minor to Apologise, Call It Misuse of State Machinery

This is not only about student leaders who are being allegedly targeted for their involvement in the protest. Ruchika Singh, a 15-year-old minor from Noida, had to issue a public video apology after a video of her making abusive and vulgar remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his late mother went viral. The incident took place during a CJP-led protest at Jantar Mantar. During the protest, Singh used offensive language against the Prime Minister. She later claimed that she got carried away and acted under the influence of the surrounding crowd.

A Zero FIR was registered under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhit (BNS), including Sections 352, 353(1), and 356(1). The case was subsequently transferred to the Delhi Police for an active investigation.

On July 31, Singh posted an emotional video apology with folded hands. She stated she was deeply ashamed, could not look the nation in the eye, and promised it would be her "first and last mistake".

Prime Minister Modi broke his silence on the viral controversy, while describing the vulgar comments against his late mother as a "cultural shock", he referred to the youth involved as "misguided children". He stated that he forgives them and requested the public and authorities to guide them onto the right path rather than pursuing strict punitive actions.

Meanwhile, critics strongly condemned the incident, terming it highly insensitive on the part of the administration and the government to force a minor to publicly apologise. They argued that compelling 15-year-old Ruchika Singh to apologise by using state machinery is shameful.

Unlike influencers or Bollywood celebrities, Ruchika is an ordinary teenager. Critics pointed out that while young people often engage in criticism of politicians within their private circles of friends which is admittedly wrong , such behaviour does not warrant formal punishment. They emphasised that adolescents learn at their own pace, make mistakes, and grow through life experiences, and should not be subjected to public humiliation for it.

Drawing a comparison, observers noted that the alleged remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi pale in comparison to the sustained sexist and casteist abuse faced by Mayawati throughout her political career. While people have apologised to Mayawati in the past, those apologies stemmed from public anger among the most vulnerable sections of society, including cobblers, artisans, sanitation workers and other marginalised communities rather than from fear of state machinery. Critics highlighted that Mayawati never deployed the state’s apparatus to book even adult critics or prominent figures, leave alone a 15-year-old. They remarked that the Prime Minister could have drawn lessons in democratic resilience from Mayawati’s example.