DU reopens as students decode 'thinly veiled threats' and Jantar Mantar protests

Delhi University's North Campus wore its usual monsoon bustle on Wednesday as freshers queued for library cards and orientation — but underneath the admission forms ran a quieter current: the Cockroach Janta Party's 36-day Jantar Mantar protest had ended on July 25, yet the campus was still absorbing its aftershocks.

A July 23 circular from the university had warned that "unlawful assemblies" at Jantar Mantar "may invite legal action" and urged students to "prioritise their safety and compliance with the law." JNU and Jamia Millia Islamia issued similar advisories. IIT Roorkee went further, cautioning against displaying "affinity with a political movement" lest it embarrass the institute's relationship with the Union government.

"Legitimate demands can force a resignation; at least they made the government answerable," a political-science student from Hindu College told Newslaundry, speaking anonymously. "It was a thinly veiled threat," a first-year English student said of the DU circular.

Renewed protest at Jantar Mantar

Even as campuses reopened, a fresh protest organised by AISA, DSF, DSO, KYS, SFI and the Collective began at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday and ran into Thursday, concluding at 5:30 pm. The organisers said it was a response to continuing harassment and repression of students who had participated in protests across India.

"We'll only consider the movement successful once everyone is released; until then, it remains incomplete," AISA president Neha Bora said at the protest, days after breaking her hunger strike. She added that a march is planned in Kolkata for protesters still detained by police.

Sarthak of the Disha Students' Organisation said the government is "trying every trick to retaliate against the students who came out to protest against the wave of paper leaks." Students from left-leaning organisations including DSO, AISA and SFI have been arrested in Patna, with an FIR lodged against DSO's national president.

What we can verify

• DU, JNU, Jamia and IIT Roorkee issued advisories between July 23–24 cautioning students against joining Jantar Mantar demonstrations. — Newslaundry; The Indian Express
• The CJP protest ended on July 25 after the Centre accepted core demands including FIR withdrawal, though CJP warned it would resume if student harassment continued. — Newslaundry
• A new protest by AISA, DSF, DSO, KYS, SFI and the Collective ran Wednesday–Thursday at Jantar Mantar demanding release of detained students. — Newslaundry
• NSUI began an indefinite hunger strike outside the Faculty of Arts against the Vice-Chancellor's circular on Jantar Mantar protests, with five participants since Wednesday. — Newslaundry

What remains unverified

• Exact number of students detained in Patna and other locations; current detention status of individuals named in reports. — [unverified]
• Whether the university advisories led to a measurable drop in student participation at protests. — [unverified]
• Specific content of the "threats" to families alleged by some student activists beyond what is quoted in published reports. — [unverified]