Jamia Millia Islamia Files Complaint, Delhi Police Registers FIR Against Congress, SP MPs For Trespassing

New Delhi: The Delhi police have registered an FIR against 3 Members of Parliament (MPs) after Jamia Millia Islamia’s administration lodged a complaint alleging unauthorised entry into the university campus and instigating trouble during an ongoing student agitation. The FIR relates to trespassing and was registered by Jamia Nagar Police on the basis of the university’s complaint.

According to police sources, the case has been filed against 2 Congress MPs and 1 Samajwadi Party MP who had visited the campus while students were protesting for the restoration of student union elections. The university has claimed that their presence contributed to unrest on the premises.

The FIR was registered against the backdrop of heightened tension at Jamia, where a section of students has been demanding the revival of the Jamia Millia Islamia Students’ Union, elections for which have not been conducted since 2006. At least 4 students have been on hunger strike for the past 13 days to press for the demand.

Heavy Deployment, Online Classes And Claims Of Crackdown

The agitation, which began almost two weeks ago, has led to a heavy security presence around the campus. The Students' Federation of India (SFI) has alleged that hundreds of police personnel detained students outside Gate Number 7, calling the action in a social media post a crackdown on students. A student also claimed that entry into the campus was being restricted and students were being detained.

In view of the situation, the university on Saturday moved all classes to online mode, citing security concerns. It advised students not to come to the campus and announced that university gates and libraries would stay shut until further orders.

The university stated that over 1500 teaching and non-teaching staff, led by Vice-Chancellor Mazhar Asif and Registrar Md Mahtab Alam Rizvi, walked from the lawns of the Ansari Auditorium to Gate 7 on Saturday to appeal to the protesting students to end their agitation. According to the administration, the staff made repeated appeals for nearly two hours, but the protesters declined to leave the spot.

Conflicting Versions And Demands Over Union Elections

However, the statements from both sides differ sharply over what transpired at the protest site. The SFI’s Jamia unit alleged that the proctor, registrar and security adviser attempted to forcibly remove those on hunger strike, pulled down their tents and dragged women students. However, the administration alleged that some students pushed security guards and teachers.

The university stated that a 7-member committee of professors has held 4 rounds of discussions with the students. The committee also said that it notified a JMISU Constitution Draft Committee on October 21 and assured that disciplinary action taken or initiated against students in connection with the October 12 protest would be reviewed.

The SFI has placed several demands, including inclusion of students in the constitution-drafting panel, declaration of election dates in the current semester, withdrawal of all disciplinary action against protesters and resignation of the chief proctor and security adviser over alleged use of force. However, the university has maintained that Gate 18 is the designated location for protests and that the ongoing agitation at Gulistan-e-Ghalib lawns amounts to an unauthorised occupation.

Further details regarding the case are awaited.