Walls whitewashed, graffiti returns in 24 hours: Jadavpur students defy Bengal CM

Fresh graffiti, including a Karl Marx quote and "Free Palestine" slogans, reappeared at Jadavpur University after walls were whitewashed following Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari's call to remove "anti-national" slogans. The university called the cleaning routine, while Vice-Chancellor Chiranjib Bhattacharya urged constructive, non-political use of walls. Students defended the graffiti as free speech.‘Free Palestine’ back on Jadavpur walls 24 hours after CM’s warningFollowing an ultimatum from Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari to remove "anti-national" slogans painted over controversial wall writings across Kolkata's iconic Jadavpur University campus, fresh slogans, including a Karl Marx quote, reappeared on freshly whitewashed walls outside the Open Air Theatre within 24 hours, triggering a fresh political debate.On a wet Monday evening, students drenched in rain could be seen scribbling a poem by Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish while spraying "Free Palestine" in red on the wall of the Undergraduate (UG) Arts Building, despite Adhikari's warnings.This came barely a day after Adhikari, addressing BJP workers in Paschim Medinipur, pointed out that he had asked the Vice-Chancellor to ensure that anti-national slogans were removed from Jadavpur University's walls for good."Are these slogans in favour of the nation and in favour of education?" he asked, adding, "There is 'Free Palestine' written where there should have been 'Free PoK' instead." After Adhikari's call over the weekend to remove what he called anti-national slogans from Jadavpur University's walls, several walls were erased by the authorities on Saturday, prompting left-wing students to call for "reclaiming" the wall space.The cleaning and painting work began on Saturday, triggering a political debate over whether the university acted following Adhikari's criticism. Many wondered whether the authorities had rushed to whitewash the walls on Saturday following Adhikari's warning and criticism. However, the university dismissed the speculation, calling it a routine cleaning and beautification exercise and claiming that it had acted under no pressure.On Sunday, Adhikari had said, "There was a need to wipe off anti-national slogans from Jadavpur University's walls for a long time. A lot will be wiped away in the future as well. I have already asked the Jadavpur University V-C and registrars to take action against all these complaints which have been proven beyond doubt."Addressing the issue, Vice-Chancellor Chiranjib Bhattacharya said graffiti as a concept had become outdated in the age of social media, where political movements are launched. Urging all stakeholders at Jadavpur University to consider the issue, Bhattacharya said walls filled with graffiti did not look good and made the campus appear dirty. Nevertheless, he said, wall space could be utilised in a constructive, non-political way."If it's for politics, there are a lot of available channels. Gone are the days when wall graffiti was the only option," he said.While university officials plan to monitor the walls and hold discussions with students, student groups defended the graffiti as a form of free speech, denying any anti-national intent and accusing the BJP and RSS of trying to smear the institution.The graffiti controversy erupted at Jadavpur University following a recent clash on campus between members of the ABVP and Left student organisations. The latest row centres on wall writings at the university's Arts Faculty, which has come under Adhikari's scrutiny.On Friday, Adhikari questioned the presence of slogans such as "Red salute to Kishenji" and "Kashmir wants freedom" at the university. He called the slogans objectionable, compared them to "garbage", and argued that such a culture had no place in a "centre of excellence" such as Jadavpur University.His remarks came amid a broader controversy at the university, where tensions have surfaced following the clash involving ABVP members and Left student groups. Adhikari's criticism, however, was specifically directed at the wall writings at the Arts Faculty.Among the slogans cited by him was "Red salute to Kishenji". Kishenji was a senior Maoist leader who was killed by police in 2011, months after the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress came to power in West Bengal.The controversy has brought together two strands of developments at Jadavpur University: the recent confrontation between student groups and the presence of political slogans on campus walls, which Adhikari has described as objectionable and out of place at the institution.- EndsPublished By: Sayan GangulyPublished On: Aug 31, 2026 21:14 IST