Complaint against JNU, organisers over 'Anti-India' reference in webinar

A Delhi-based lawyer on Saturday, October 30, filed a police complaint against JNU's Centre for Women's Development Studies and organisers of a webinar, for allegedly using the phrase "Indian Occupation in Kashmir".

Advocate Vineet Jindal, in his complaint to Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Ashtana, stated that the webinar, titled 'Gender Resistance and Fresh Challenges in Post 2019 Kashmir', was to be organised by the Centre on October 29 at 8:30 pm and the details were also available on the JNU website.

"In the subject of the invitation to the seminar, it was mentioned 'Gendered Resistance to Indian Occupation in Kashmir'. By mentioning this phrase, the organisers of the webinar have depicted the forceful occupation of Kashmir by the Indian government and this phrase has questioned the integrity and unity of the country," the complaint read. It further said the phrase 'Indian Occupation to Kashmir' is clearly perceived to be the forceful occupation of Kashmir by the Indian government, which is surely not true.

READ ALSO : JNU VC misled Executive Council to hide the scale of embezzlement of public funds: JNUTA

The complaint filed against JNU under section 121A, 124A, 505 of IPC and 74 of IT ACT 2008, also attached the screenshot of the proposed online seminar in the petition. "The phrase also indicates the intention of the organisers that, in the pretext of this webinar, it was purposefully used to publicise the idea and provoke and instigate people against the Indian government," it stated.

The complaint states that the webinar was cancelled after a protest by certain people as the subject of the webinar was found questionable and objectionable, which clearly proves that the organisers had mala fide intentions against the integrity of the country or some other hidden agenda. "Kashmir is an integrated part of India just like any other state of India, so calling or publicly popularising it as an occupied state is an anti-national act, which not only instigates the common man but also provokes communal disharmony among the masses," read the complaint.

"The subject of Kashmir has always been a delicate and sensitive one due to the involvement of the other neighbouring countries who wish to create national discord, so stating the said phrase accounts to an intentional act of creating disturbance among the citizens of the countries and states, which is not acceptable in any manner and must be dealt with an iron hand by lodging an FIR against the organisers of the webinar," the complaint stated.