JNU protest
A student participates in a rally to protest against the arrest of a Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student, outside the Jadavpur University campus in Kolkata on 16 February Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters

Numerous students at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in India's capital New Delhi have been termed "anti-nationals" for "demanding beef" and "praying to Mahishasur" (a demon). The disclosure comes in the form of a police report that details anti-national activities of JNU students during an event hosted on its premise on 9 February.

The event was organised to commemorate Afzal Guru's death, who was executed in 2013, after being pronounced guilty for his role in the 2001 terror attack on the Indian Parliament. According to The Hindu, the police report pointed at two student political outfits for indulging in anti-national activities. The two student outfits were the Democratic Students' Union (DSU) and Democratic Students' Federation (DSF).

The police report claimed that 19 students were involved in anti-national activities. However, most of the student mentioned had passed out from the university a year back. "Two hidden groups have been found indulging in anti-national activities," the police report said. "Sometimes, they have prepared nude and objectionable pictures of deities and affix them on the wall to hurt sentiments. They have mourned the death of Afzal Guru, they have celebrated the killing of CRPF jawans in Dantewada, they have worshipped Mahishasur in place of Goddess Durga [during Navratri festival], demanded beef, invited [Kashmiri separatist leader] S.A.R. Geelani for a lecture at the university," the report said.

According to reports, the event (on 9 February) was hosted at the university campus by DSU, whose members raised anti-India slogans. Soon after the incident, the country's union home minister Rajnath Singh said that anti-national activities will not be tolerated and on 12 February, JNU students union president, Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested on sedation charges.

"DSU is a front organisation for Maoists and Kumar belongs to AISF, the student wing of the Communist Party of India. Traditionally, a Left political party and Maoists cannot share the same platform," said an MHA official.

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