Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi has strongly criticised several prominent Indian universities for issuing advisories that discourage students from participating in ongoing demonstrations at Jantar Mantar.
On Friday morning, Gandhi reacted sharply to a directive from Delhi University (DU), which had cautioned students and faculty against joining “unlawful assemblies”. Taking to social media, the Congress leader questioned the authority of the institutions to intimidate students, reports NDTV.
“How dare you threaten students for exercising their democratic rights?” Gandhi posted on X, adding that university administration “will be held accountable when the time comes”.
The controversy follows a message shared by DU on Thursday, which claimed that gatherings at Jantar Mantar are “strictly regulated” by Supreme Court directives.
The university warned that participation could lead to legal action, pose risks to personal safety, and negatively affect students’ academic records and future careers. DU also advised students to be wary of “fake and misleading content” circulating online.
Following DU’s lead, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) issued its own advisory on Friday. JNU urged its “epistemic community” to prioritise safety and refrain from visiting protest sites.
The institution further warned that misuse of social media regarding the protests could result in both legal consequences and internal disciplinary measures.
The university directives have faced a backlash from various sectors. Deepender Hooda, a Congress MP and DU alumnus, condemned the statements as “misleading and threatening,” questioning which specific Supreme Court ruling rendered all Jantar Mantar demonstrations “unlawful”.
Actor and filmmaker Pooja Bhatt also voiced her opposition, stating that suppressing student voices poses a greater threat to their safety than the protests themselves.
In a similar move, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee previously reminded its community to avoid “political movements” without permission. However, the institute later clarified that this was a routine annual advisory issued under existing conduct rules and not a new policy.
Reports of censorship have also emerged from IIT Madras, where a student alleged that the Dean instructed the removal of social media posts and a “solidarity video” supporting the Jantar Mantar protests.
The demonstrations at Jantar Mantar, which include demands for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, have seen heightened security measures, including the closure of 17 Delhi Metro stations.
Meanwhile, Delhi Police have fact-checked and dismissed viral claims suggesting that the passports of protesters would be cancelled.
