Jamia Millia Islamia, a centrally funded university, has garnered a reputation for controversy in recent years, with several incidents exposing alleged administrative lapses and questionable practices. Five years ago, during the enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in 2019, the university became the epicentre of anti-CAA protests, which drew widespread attention and sparked debates about the institution’s connections to controversial activities.
On the fifth anniversary of these protests, the All India Students Association (AISA), a left-leaning student organisation, along with the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), planned a memorial event on campus to commemorate the occasion.
“Tera Mera Rishta Kya, La Ilaha Illallah” and “Hum Kya Chahte? Azadi,”
All these slogans were raised at Jamia Millia Islamia, a centrally funded institute today. The students, while making all these provocative Islamic slogans, are celebrating the fifth anniversary of the… pic.twitter.com/j90QXA3P70
— Subhi Vishwakarma (@subhi_karma) December 16, 2024
However, on Sunday, the university administration suspended classes, citing “maintenance work,” and closed the canteen and library from 1 PM onward. This decision sparked allegations from students, who accused the administration of attempting to suppress their right to peaceful protest.
Videos circulating online showed students protesting against the heavy police deployment outside the campus, chanting slogans such as “Delhi Police Go Back.” Students claimed that the campus was placed under a virtual lockdown, with entry and exit restricted.
Videos from the campus, as accessed by Organiser also showed students chanting slogans such as “Tera Mera Rishta Kya, La Ilaha Illallah” and “Hum Kya Chahte? Azadi,” a throwback to previous anti-CAA protests. Some students, affiliated with AISA and NSUI, were seen raising provocative slogans while protesting. Sources claim that these groups had earlier issued threats to the university administration, demanding the event be allowed.
While AISA accused the administration of stifling dissent, sources told Organiser that the closures were due to ongoing construction work and not the planned protest. The situation has once again brought Jamia into the spotlight, again for all wrong reasons.
The university administration issued a circular late December 14 night, citing maintenance work as the reason for the closures. However, many students questioned the timing of the notice, alleging it was a deliberate move to prevent their planned event.
AISA issued a statement, saying, “On December 15, 2019, Delhi Police injured our friends, vandalised our campus, and treated us like terrorists. Today, they are preventing us from even remembering that horrific day.”
Police deployment around the campus remains heavy, and the university administration has yet to release an official statement addressing the students’ specific allegations.
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