Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration denied students permission to hold the ‘Onam of Solidarity’ event at the Convention Centre on campus due to a poster depicting king Mahabali in the colors of the Palestinian flag. The JNU administration claimed that the poster was a political manipulation of a festival and that Onam was already celebrated in August. The JNU Onam Committee disagreed with this interpretation and condemned the decision as anti-South Indian and anti-Kerala discrimination. The students received support from Thiruvananthapuram Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who called the decision a retrograde step and emphasized the secular nature of the Onam festival. The students had paid to book the venue and submitted a detailed itinerary for the event, which included lectures, performances, and a feast. Several political organizations within the university also criticized the administration’s move and showed solidarity with the JNU Onam Committee. The Congress’ student wing NSUI and the SFI accused the administration of suppressing the celebration of festivals and favoring religious events initiated by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).