Jamia Students Detained For Protesting Over Disciplinary Action, University Call It An ‘Unlawful Gathering’ – News18

Last Updated:February 13, 2025, 10:51 IST

Jamia students detained for protesting against disciplinary action linked to the December 15, 2024, “Jamia Resistance Day,” an annual event commemorating the 2019 anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests.

The Delhi Police on Thursday morning picked up several protesting students from Jamia Millia Islamia and took them to three different police stations—Kalkaji, Sunlight Colony, and Badarpur.

Students began an indefinite protest on February 10 against the university’s disciplinary action against two PhD scholars, who were accused of organising a demonstration last year.

The protest is taking place at the Central Canteen of Jamia Millia Islamia. The issue began on December 17, 2024, when the university’s disciplinary committee issued notices to two PhD scholars for allegedly organising a demonstration in 2023.

The disciplinary measures are linked to “Jamia Resistance Day” on December 15, 2024, an annual event marking the 2019 protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). That year, Delhi Police allegedly entered the campus and used batons on students inside the library, leading to widespread outrage across the country.

On February 12, 2025, the disciplinary committee sent notices to two more students (from MA and Law courses) and suspended eight others. The committee is set to review their cases on February 25, but the university has not yet responded to the students’ demands, which they call an “attack on campus democracy.”

The protest is being led by Left-affiliated student groups, including AISA. Protesters are demanding that the disciplinary actions be withdrawn and that the administration stop what they call a “crackdown on student activism.” Holding banners with slogans like “Dissent is the legacy of Jamia” and “Restore Campus Democracy”, they accuse the administration of violating their freedom of speech and assembly.

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Security Heightened Outside Jamia, University Calls Protest An ‘Unlawful Gathering’

Security has been heightened outside Jamia Millia Islamia after several students staged protests. Jamia Millia Islamia issued a statement calling the protest an “unlawful gathering” that has disrupted academic activities. The university said a small group of students has been protesting in the academic block since February 10, disturbing mid-semester exams, preventing students from accessing the Central Library, and obstructing regular classes.

The administration also accused the protesters of vandalising university property, damaging the Central Canteen, and breaking the gate of the security advisor. Additionally, they alleged that some students were found in possession of contraband items.

The university stated that it had offered students an opportunity to discuss their demands with the administration, including their supervisors, department heads, and the Dean, but the protesters refused.

As a preventive measure, the Proctorial team removed the students from the protest site on Thursday morning and evicted them from the campus. The police were called to maintain law and order.