Summary of this article
Student leaders accuse the administration of “double standards” bias and lack of transparency.
Protestors allege use of force, including manhandling of women
The university has not issued an official statement on the incident.
Students affiliated with the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the Fraternity Movement staged a protest at Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) on Tuesday against an RSS-linked ‘Yuva Kumbh’ event held on campus, leading to a tense exchange between demonstrators and university guards.
Demonstrators alleged that members of the Proctor’s office and university guards used force to disperse them. Videos provided by members of the organisations show a chaotic scenes inside the corridor. Students can be seen being restrained and pushed by what appear to be campus security personnel.
Protesting the RSS programme on campus, National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) national president Vinod Jakhar termed it an example of “double standards”, saying on X that Jamia stands for inclusivity, not ideological imposition.
“The female protestors were also manhandled by male guards. Some even had their hijabs pulled,” said Atikur Rehman, Joint Secretary of the SFI, JMI unit.
Rehman said over 100 protestors from various student organisations, including the Congress-affiliated NSUI, had gathered for what he described as a peaceful demonstration against allowing the RSS to hold a political event on campus.
He claimed the event had a selective audience, with no publicly available details about its content. According to him, entry was restricted through a list. “RSS has consistently stood opposed to the vision of an inclusive, secular India. Its ideology has been linked to communal violence, systematic discrimination, and the dismantling of democratic institutions,” SFI said in a statement.
Celebrating its centenary on a campus that houses thousands of minority students is a direct provocation and an affront to their dignity and safety, it added.
He further said the administration had planned to “roll out the red carpet” for RSS members, but added that the event had to be cut short due to the protests, calling the demonstration “a success in a way”.
“However, the students were subjected to brutality. Multiple students were injured; I also got hurt in my hand and leg. Heavy police were deployed outside the campus, with riot gear vehicles stationed.” Drone surveillance was also in place, IANS reported.
The university administration has not issued a show-cause notice or released any statement regarding the incident.
“Whenever we, the students, organise cultural, academic, economic or religious programmes within the law, security personnel come and stop them,” said Adhil Chemban from the Fraternity Movement. He added that the same security was protecting such political programmes within Jamia, “a minority campus.”
“Initially, the guards blocked us, after which we sat down in front of the auditorium and raised slogans,” he said. “At the time, the security provoked us to act violently; they were mocking us.”
He added that students then attempted to enter the auditorium through multiple exits, but eventually sat down at the main gate. As they tried to move inside, security guards, along with members of the Proctor’s office, intervened, leading to an escalation.
“The professors were also hitting the students. We have evidence of that. The professors were intentionally hitting the students,” said Chemban, who was also injured in the clash and suffered blunt abdominal trauma. He underwent X-ray and ultrasound examinations and was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday morning.
