JU walls painted over after Bengal CM's anti-national slogans warning

Kolkata's Jadavpur University has painted over graffiti on its campus walls days after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari issued a stern warning against what he termed "anti-national" slogans. The whitewashing, which began on Saturday and continued through Sunday, covered messages expressing support for Palestine and Maoist leader Kishenji, as well as a slogan on the open-air theatre that read, "Fascists do not deserve democracy. They deserve a bullet in the head." A portrait of American civil rights activist Audre Lorde was also erased.

Speaking at a public meeting near the university on Friday, Adhikari said he would not tolerate anti-national slogans at the reputed institution. He questioned the intent behind messages like "Kashmir Mange Azadi," asking what freedom was being sought. He also referred to student rallies during Operation Sindoor, which he said called for a halt to the war rather than support for the country, and urged students to instead write slogans demanding the return of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The university has described the painting as part of routine cleaning and has sought to avoid controversy. No protests have been reported against the move, though some students linked to Left unions have voiced opposition. CPI(M) leader and former Kolkata Mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya criticised the action, asserting that campuses are spaces for free thinking and exchange of ideas, and that no amount of whitewashing can stop that.

The incident follows a period of tension at the university, which began on August 19 when a group of ABVP supporters reportedly forced their way onto the campus, attempting to destroy posters and burn flags of the Left union. Graffiti and poster culture have been a longstanding part of the university's political life for decades.