Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia has shifted classes online after a confrontation between student protesters and security guards on campus, amid an ongoing agitation demanding the restoration of student union elections.
The clash erupted when security guards monitoring the demonstration moved to remove tents where protesting students had gathered, including some who were on a hunger strike. The students have been protesting since October 12, demanding the reintroduction of the Jamia Millia Islamia Students’ Union (JMISU), which was disbanded in 2006 following campus violence that disrupted academic activities.
The university administration has denied allegations that it acted without provocation. The confrontation has also triggered a dispute over the involvement of political leaders, with the registrar accusing two Congress MPs of aggravating tensions during a visit to the campus a day earlier.
Registrar blames Congress MPs for escalating tensions
Jamia registrar Mahtab Alam Rizvi alleged that Congress MPs Imran Pratapgarhi and Imran Masood had entered the campus by jumping over a wall on Thursday, disturbing the university’s environment and provoking students.
Rizvi claimed that the leaders’ actions had made students “cannon fodder” for political narratives. He also said a complaint had been filed with the Delhi Police in connection with the incident.
However, student protester Abin Basil rejected the allegation that the MPs’ visit had worsened the situation. “Their visit is not ruining the atmosphere. They are our MPs, our Lok Sabha members. How could their visit ruin the atmosphere?” he said.
Basil alleged that university professors and security personnel had attempted to dismantle the protest tent despite the administration publicly presenting its efforts as an attempt to persuade students to end their hunger strike.
Students accuse administration of crackdown
The All India Students’ Association (AISA), a communist student organisation, alleged that the administration had acted against the protesting students without provocation while some of them were on a hunger strike.
The university has refuted the allegations.
The students are specifically seeking the restoration of the JMISU, which was disbanded in 2006 after campus violence led to disruptions in academic activities. The current agitation began on October 12 and has continued amid demands for an elected student body.
CPI(M) MP raises issue with education minister
The absence of an elected student union for nearly two decades was also raised by CPI(M) MP John Brittas in a letter to Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi on October 21.
Brittas cited constitutional provisions guaranteeing freedom of speech and association, University Grants Commission guidelines on students’ entitlements and the recommendations of the Lyngdoh Committee on student elections.
The letter brought the demand for student representation at Jamia to the attention of the Union government as the campus protest continued.
Controversy over anti-national slogans adds to tensions
Tensions at the university have also been heightened by the appearance of anti-national slogans on its walls, reportedly linked to Jammu and Kashmir. The slogans prompted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to demand an investigation.
Basil alleged that the contentious slogans had been planted at the behest of the university administration, while making clear that the protesters opposed the messages themselves.
“We strongly condemn those slogans. Our demand remains simple and clear: hold student union elections,” he said.
The competing allegations over the slogans, the Congress MPs’ visit and the removal of the protest tents have added to the confrontation between the university administration and students, even as the central demand for the restoration of student union elections remains unresolved.
Disciplinary action adds to student unrest
The university had also constituted a committee on October 21 to draft a new constitution for the students’ union and announced a review of disciplinary action initiated against protesting students. However, the protesters have maintained that forming a committee does not meet their immediate demand for an official election schedule for the 2026-27 academic session.
The agitation has also intensified over disciplinary measures against three students who began the hunger strike. The administration rusticated law student Ebin Basil for one year, suspended two other students and barred all three from campus for a year. Protesters have since demanded that these actions be revoked and that the university’s chief proctor be removed.
The administration’s High Level Committee has appealed to students to end the agitation, arguing that announcing election dates before the union constitution and election mechanism are finalised would be premature.