"How Dare You": Rahul Gandhi Slams Universities' 'No Protest' Advisory To Students

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday slammed the Delhi University directive asking its students to stay away from the ongoing protests.

Delhi University had shared an advisory on social media on Thursday, telling all its students to stay away from 'unlawful assemblies', including the protest at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

In a strongly worded post on Friday morning, Rahul Gandhi attacked the university's move.

"How dare you threaten students for exercising their democratic rights?" Gandhi posted on X, adding that the university "will be held accountable".

"Please note, you are the ones that will be held accountable when the time comes," he wrote.

How dare you threaten students for exercising their democratic rights?

Please note, you are the ones that will be held accountable when the time comes. https://t.co/Mx6D19SP5h

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 24, 2026

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"Dear students and faculty, your safety matters to us. Please note that any unlawful assemblies or demonstrations at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, which are strictly regulated as per the directives of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India, may invite legal action. Such activities can also pose serious risks to students' personal safety and significantly impact their academic progress and professional opportunities. Accordingly, all students are urged to stay away from Jantar Mantar and to prioritise their safety and compliance with the law. Furthermore, you are advised to exercise caution as a significant amount of fake and misleading content is being created and circulated to fuel the situation," read the DU message on Thursday.

Dear students and faculty, your safety matters to us. Please note that any unlawful assemblies or demonstrations at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, which are strictly regulated as per the directives of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India, may invite legal action. Such activities can…

— University of Delhi (@UnivofDelhi) July 23, 2026

It's not just Delhi University that has asked its students to avoid protests that have spread to several cities over the past few weeks.

Jawaharlal Nehru University also on Friday morning advised its students against joining the protests.

"All stakeholders of JNU's epistemic community are advised to act responsibly and prioritise their personal safety. In accordance with the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India's directions on public demonstrations, you are requested to refrain from participating in or visiting gatherings at or around Jantar Mantar, New Delhi," read the advisory posted on social media from the university account.

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JNU also warned its students on the use of social media in the wake of the protests. "Please exercise responsibility on social media. Violations may invite legal consequences under applicable laws as well as disciplinary action under the University's code of conduct," the advisory added.

Advisory
All stakeholders of JNU's epistemic community are advised to act responsibly and prioritize their personal safety. In accordance with the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India's directions on public demonstrations, you are requested to refrain from participating in or visiting…

— Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) (@JNU_official_50) July 24, 2026

The actions of the universities have come under fire from several quarters.

Slamming the DU advisory, actor and filmmaker Pooja Bhatt wrote against "suppressing" student voices.

"The students' safety is more in jeopardy if their voices are suppressed. If we are truly invested in their future, we must support their right to speak out rather than maintain a conspiracy of silence," she posted on X.

The students safety is more in jeopardy if their voices are suppressed. If we are truly invested in their future, we must support their right to speak out rather than maintain a conspiracy of silence. 🙏 https://t.co/SB9IcHiRvb

— Pooja Bhatt (@PoojaB1972) July 23, 2026

Congress MP and Delhi University alumnus Deepender Hooda also slammed the advisory. 

"As an alumni of Delhi University and as a law maker myself being a Member of Parliament I totally condemn this misleading and threatening statement from @UnivofDelhi. Which SC ruling has rendered the Jantar Mantar demonstrations/assemblies as blanket “unlawful” as claimed in this DU statement? Shame on DU for lying to its students," he posted on X.

As an alumni of Delhi University and as a law maker myself being a Member of Parliament I totally condemn this misleading and threatening statement from @UnivofDelhi

Which SC ruling has rendered the Jantar Mantar demonstrations/assemblies as blanket “unlawful” as claimed in… https://t.co/89JZ0TA4p6

— Deepender Singh Hooda (@DeependerSHooda) July 23, 2026

A few days ago, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee had issued a similar advisory, reminding students, faculty and staff that they must not participate in "political movement like the one currently in public utterance" or make public statements on political issues without prior permission from the institute.

Amid sharp reactions, IIT Roorkee clarified that the communication is neither a new policy nor a fresh directive. The institute said the advisory is issued every year at the beginning of the academic session under its existing conduct rules and should not be viewed out of context.

A student at IIT Madras also claimed on Thursday that the Dean of the institute asked students to take down posts in support of the protest from their Instagram.

"Guys, we were asked by the Dean to take down the posts related to the Jantar Mantar protests. Our faculty advisor was called. We will be taking down those posts, including the solidarity video. Since you guys had contributed to the video, we thought it was important to let you know," reads a message received by an IIT Madras student.