Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is in the spotlight again after images of Bangladesh flags allegedly pasted on the floor of a washroom in the School of Languages surfaced on social media platform X. 

The incident, sparking a heated online debate, has drawn conflicting responses from student leaders, eyewitnesses, and anonymous sources, leaving more questions than answers.

Rajeshwar, President of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) unit at JNU, confirmed the incident, claiming the flags were likely placed as a reaction to recent events at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) in Dhaka, where India’s national flag was allegedly disrespected. 

“It seems like an emotional reaction by from a few bachelor students, but no one knows who did it,” he said, adding that the ongoing exam season has kept the campus politically subdued, and the flags were removed by security soon after.

ABVP Convenor Vikas supported Rajeshwar’s account, stating he personally visited the washroom after being informed and saw the flags before they were removed. “The student union is denying it to avoid attention, but I can confirm it happened,” he said.

However, the JNU Students Union (JNUSU) has vehemently denied the claims. Vice-President Avijit Ghosh dismissed the photos as fake, accusing right-wing groups of fabricating the controversy. Gaurav, a JNUSU councillor from the School of Languages, echoed the denial, asserting that the photos were part of a deliberate misinformation campaign.

Yet, on-ground accounts from students tell a different story.

A PhD scholar from Persian language studies claimed to have seen the flags himself, stating, “It doesn’t matter if the student union denies it. Many of us saw it.” 

Another student from German language studies reported seeing the flags on Friday evening (December 6) before security personnel began inspecting the area and removed them. Both students suggested the act was likely carried out in response to the BUET incident, adding that the lack of CCTV coverage in the school made it easy for anonymous individuals to act.

The contrasting narratives raise a pressing question: why is the student union denying something that multiple students claim to have witnessed? While the ABVP asserts the incident is being downplayed to avoid further tension, the JNUSU insists it is a fabricated story aimed at inflaming ideological divides.

For now, the flags are gone, but the debate over what happened? and why? continues to divide one of India’s most politically charged universities.