Outrage over police 'raid' at Jamia Millia

JNU students union vice president Shehla Rashid Shora addressing the protesting students of Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi on 14 Aug 2016. (Photo – IndiaTomorrow.net)

Student leaders of other universities and social activists have condemned entry of police at Jamia without permission of varsity administration.

 

Ghazanfar Abbas, IndiaTomorrow.net,

New Delhi, August 14: The entry of plain-clothed Delhi Police personnel, inside the boys’ hostel at Jamia Millia Islamia on Saturday, without the permission of the university, has led to an outrage not only among the students of the central university but also among students organizations, student leaders of other universities besides social activists. They have come out in support of the Jamia students who are protesting against the university administration as well as the police.

 

National Students Union of India (NSUI) has strongly condemned the entry of the Police with the intention of raiding the hostels without the permission and said “this is clearly yet another attempt by the government to harass the students, this time through the Police forces.”

 

Student organizations condemn raid

“It is highly appalling how the Government has been constantly victimizing students, especially of minority students,” said NSUI.

 

The Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS) has also condemned the police raid saying the incident “clearly reveals the hostile attitude which the current BJP-ruled Central Government bears towards Minorities.”

 

“It should be known that this is not an isolated incident. Since, communal and casteist BJP Government has come into power, it has undertaken to stifle democratic spaces in the country and foment its communal and casteist agenda and is therefore consciously targeting Universities such as JNU, HCU and now, Jamia,” said KYS.

 

Since the incident Saturday afternoon, students of Jamia have been protesting outside the main gate of the university. Many student leaders from other university joined them on Sunday to express solidarity with them.

 

Addressing the protesting Jamia students, JNU students union vice president Shehla Rashid Shora said that this is “witch-hunting and we strongly support the students’ struggle against Jamia administration and will struggle against the communal and divisive agenda of RSS-BJP government.”

 

Students leaders Amita Dhawan (Delhi University students union president), Vivekananda Pathak (NSUI secretary, Allahabad University), and Vishwanath Pathak, (NSUI President, Gujarat University) also joined the protest to show their solidarity with Jamia students.

 

Students of Jamia alleged that the raiding policemen asked students if they were from Kashmir.

 

“Where are you from? Are you from Kashmir? Is here anyone from Kashmir? Do you know someone from Kashmir? What is your caste? These kinds of questions were asked to us by the police,” said an undergraduate student who was participating in the protest demonstration.

 

“It has been 26 hours of our protest; we are standing here while it is raining, even then the University administration has not contacted to us,” he further said.

 

Is Jamia being profiled by Modi govt: Prashant Bhushan

Meanwhile some eminent social activists have also condemned police entry in the campus without permission of the varsity.

 

“Is Jamia being profiled & targeted by Modi govt? The arbitrary raids on Jamia students will cause understandable anger,” tweeted human rights lawyer Prashant Bhusan.

 

Social activist Kavita Krishnan commented: “Extremely condemnable act by NIA and IB officers for raiding in Jamia. The ‘security’ department of our country feels more ‘insecure’ by students, that’s why they do midnight raid in students’ hostels. Complete solidarity with the pretesting students. March on.”

 

Jamia Millia writes to Delhi Police, demands action against personnel

In the wake of the strong protest, Jamia Millia has written to Delhi police demanding action against the guilty officials.

 

“Taking exception to the plain-clothed Delhi Police personnel entering Jamia Millia Islamia premises without permission, the university authorities have written to the Delhi Police demanding suitable action against the erring personnel,” said Dr. Saima Saeed, Deputy Media Coordinator of Jamia Millia.

 

Prof. Mehtab Alam, Chief Proctor, JMI, in his letter to the DCP South East urged him “to identify the police personnel involved in the incident and take suitable action against them.”

 

It was a routine check, not raid: Delhi Police

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police has clarified that it was a routine check in view of the Independence Day.

 

“It was not a raid. It was a routine security exercise before Independence Day, where along with the university staff they checked the posters etc. The police had gone with the university staff only,” Network18.com has quoted DCP of the South East Zone as saying.