Jamia Millia Islamia Protest Turns Chaotic as Students Clash With Guards, Classes Go Online

Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi has shifted classes online after a confrontation between protesting students and campus security guards over demands to restore student union elections.

The protest, which began on October 12, intensified on Saturday when security personnel allegedly attempted to remove tents set up by demonstrators, including students observing a hunger strike.

The university administration said the situation escalated after two Congress MPs, Imran Pratapgarhi and Imran Masood, visited the campus a day earlier. Registrar Mahtab Alam Rizvi alleged that the leaders entered the university by jumping over a boundary wall and disturbed the campus environment. He also confirmed that a complaint had been filed with Delhi Police.

Pratapgarhi, however, defended the students and criticised the administration’s attempt to remove their protest site. He claimed the university authorities had been forced to back down because of the students’ unity and warned that attempts to intimidate them would not succeed. He also expressed his willingness to return to the campus to support their movement.

Students Seek Restoration of Union Elections
The protesters are demanding the revival of the Jamia Millia Islamia Students’ Union (JMISU), which was disbanded in 2006 following incidents of campus violence that disrupted academic activities. Students argue that the prolonged absence of an elected union has deprived them of a formal platform to raise their concerns.

On October 21, CPI(M) MP John Brittas wrote to Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi, highlighting the lack of student union elections for nearly two decades. His letter referred to constitutional protections for freedom of speech and association, University Grants Commission guidelines on student rights, and the Lyngdoh Committee’s recommendations on student elections.

The All India Students’ Association (AISA) alleged that the university administration had acted against students on hunger strike without provocation. The administration rejected the allegations.

Controversy Over Slogans Adds to Campus Tensions
The unrest has also coincided with a controversy over anti-national slogans reportedly found on university walls and linked to Jammu and Kashmir. The BJP has demanded an investigation into the matter.

Student Abin Basil alleged that the slogans had been planted at the behest of the university administration, although the claim has not been established. He condemned the slogans and reiterated that the students’ primary demand remained the restoration of student union elections.

Basil also accused university officials and security personnel of attempting to dismantle the protest tent while the administration was trying to persuade the demonstrators to end their hunger strike. Defending the Congress MPs’ visit, he said their presence had not disrupted the campus environment.

The university’s decision to move classes online comes amid growing tensions over student representation and the handling of the ongoing protest. With both sides disputing the circumstances surrounding the confrontation, the demand for the restoration of elected student leadership remains at the centre of the dispute.