Manmohan Singh News, JNU: In the year 2004, when Manmohan Singh became the Prime Minister for the first time, he had to face a lot of opposition for many economic reforms during his tenure. In the same sequence, when he reached Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in 2005 for a program, some students here showed him black flags. When Manmohan Singh started his speech, some students also started sloganeering. Then Manmohan Singh started his speech with Voltaire's statement that 'I may not agree with you, but I will protect your right to say it till my death.'

Manmohan Singh JNU Campus: The university administration had become strict.
The incident of showing black flags to a Prime Minister in the university campus shocked everyone. The university administration was so angry with this incident that it issued a notice to the students who showed black flags. Some of those students were also taken into custody by Delhi Police. Various discussions started taking place regarding this. After this incident, all the students of the university became scared.

Ex-PM Manmohan Singh: Then PM Manmohan Singh intervened.
When Manmohan Singh came to know that action is being taken against those students of Jawaharlal Nehru University, he immediately intervened in the matter and urged the then Vice Chancellor BB Bhattacharya to treat the students leniently. A media report quoted a retired professor of JNU as saying that the Vice Chancellor received a call from the PM's Office regarding this matter and he was asked to treat the students leniently. The PMO said that protesting is the right of the students, after which the University administration warned the unruly students and let them go.

Manmohan Singh: What did Manmohan Singh say to the Vice Chancellor?
BB Bhattacharya, who was the Vice Chancellor of JNU during this incident of 2005, gave an interview in 2016, in which he also mentioned this incident. Then he told that PM Manmohan Singh had told me that 'Sir, please be lenient towards the students.' In response to which BB Bhattacharya had told him that I have to at least warn him.