A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against unidentified individuals after graffiti reading ‘Azad Kashmir’ and ‘Free Palestine’ was spotted on the walls of Jadavpur University, police said on Wednesday (March 12).

The case was lodged at Jadavpur Police Station under sections 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) and 152 (acts endangering sovereignty, unity, and integrity) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

"These graffiti and posters are carrying messages which can hurt the sentiments of unity of the nation. Necessary action will be taken against those behind these," a senior police officer told news agency PTI.

The development has sparked concerns among students, who see it as an attempt to brand them as “anti-national” and divert attention from their long-standing democratic demand for student union elections. University authorities have reportedly compiled a list of students who may be questioned as part of the investigation.

The graffiti was first noticed on Monday near Gate No. 3 of the university. However, the identity of those responsible remains unknown.

'Free Palestine', 'Azad Kashmir' graffiti at Jadavpur University. Image via X.

The controversy has drawn comparisons to the 2016 Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) row, when three students were arrested on sedition charges after being accused of raising ‘anti-national’ slogans.

The controversy over the graffiti comes at a time when Jadavpur University has been witnessing intense protests, sparked by an incident on March 1 when two students were injured after West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu’s car and an accompanying vehicle allegedly grazed past them during a Left-led demonstration on campus.

A widely circulated video on social media purportedly showed a vehicle from the minister’s convoy hitting a student before speeding away, with allegations that the convoy fled without checking on the injured protester.

The demonstration was led by the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of CPI(M), along with other Left-affiliated student groups.

Their primary demand was the immediate conduct of student union elections at the university, which have been delayed for years. Protesters accused the minister of reacting “high-handedly” and attempting to leave hastily, further escalating tensions.
In response to the incident, an FIR has been filed against Basu and Jadavpur University professor and TMC leader Om Prakash Mishra for their alleged involvement in the violence.

SFI leaders claimed that "outsiders sheltered by the TMC" were responsible for the disruption, insisting that the students had only sought a peaceful discussion with the minister in the presence of the vice-chancellor.

Following the incident, SFI called for a statewide university strike on March 3, demanding Basu’s resignation. The strike witnessed significant participation, with campuses at Jadavpur University and Presidency University largely deserted as students, faculty, and staff stayed away.

Other institutions, including Calcutta University, Rabindra Bharati University, North Bengal University, and Burdwan University, saw a partial impact, with some classes suspended.

The CPI(M)-led Left Front has continued protests, condemning what they described as an attack on student demonstrators by "TMC-backed miscreants." The party has also accused the ruling TMC of attempting to suppress student voices and evade accountability for the violence on campus.