Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Vice Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit on Thursday praised Operation Sindoor and questioned how the University can maintain “academic relations” with Turkey after it “repeatedly stabbed India in the back”
Her comments came after JNU ended an MoU with a Turkish university. The agreement was signed on February 3, 2025, with Inonu University in Malatya, Turkey, and was supposed to last until 2028. A day after JNU’s call Jamia Milia Islamia University has also suspended all MoUs with Turkish educational institutions, reported news agency ANI.
She clarified that JNU will continue teaching Turkish language with an Indian faculty member. “JNU is fully subsidised by Indian citizens. If the Indian state is being undermined, how can we continue ties with a country like Turkey?” she said.
"How can we maintain academic relations with a country that supports terror and repeatedly stabs India in the back?" Pandit asked.
The decision comes at a time when many Indians are calling for a boycott of Turkey and Azerbaijan for siding with Pakistan. Travel companies like MakeMyTrip and EaseMyTrip have reported rising cancellations of trips to both countries. Public anger grew further after reports that Turkey had provided drones and other advanced weapons to Pakistan.
'Operation Sindoor shows India’s strength'
{{/usCountry}}The decision comes at a time when many Indians are calling for a boycott of Turkey and Azerbaijan for siding with Pakistan. Travel companies like MakeMyTrip and EaseMyTrip have reported rising cancellations of trips to both countries. Public anger grew further after reports that Turkey had provided drones and other advanced weapons to Pakistan.
'Operation Sindoor shows India’s strength'
{{/usCountry}}Pandit strongly praised Indian military’s May 7 strikes under Operation Sindoor targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The action was in response to a terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, where 26 civilians were killed.
“In my entire 60 years, I've never seen a government take such decisive and well-coordinated action,” she told ANI. “The coordination between scientists, the Army, Navy, Air Force, and the political leadership was remarkable. We completed the operation in just 25 to 45 minutes.”
She said that the strike proved India’s military and technological capabilities. “The world--including China, Russia, and the US – was stunned. I salute the Armed Forces, the Prime Minister, and our scientists,” she said.
Calling the attack in Pahalgam “barbaric,” she added, “India has long been a victim of terror. This act must be condemned by every civilised nation. What India did was retaliate with restraint, precision, and clarity.”
Backlash against Turkey, Azerbaijan
Public anger is mounting in India against Turkey and Azerbaijan after both countries openly supported Pakistan during its recent conflict with India.
Azerbaijan issued a statement that echoed Pakistan’s stance on the situation, while Turkey backed Islamabad’s call for an international probe into the Pahalgam terror attack. Turkey has also supplied weapons to Pakistan in the past. Turkey’s support for Pakistan has sparked widespread outrage in India. Several trade associations and citizen groups have called for a boycott of Turkish goods.
In Maharashtra’s Pune, traders recently announced a boycott of Turkish apples. The protest soon spread to other regions, with vendors in Uttar Pradesh also pledging to end all business ties with Turkey.