14 Jamia students released after detention over protest

Fourteen Jamia Millia Islamia students were detained early on Thursday morning but released later in the afternoon after they staged a protest against disciplinary action taken against two PhD scholars by the university administration.

The two scholars had received show-cause notices for organising a protest on December 15, 2024, marking the anniversary of the 2019 anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests, which they had labelled ‘Jamia Resistance Day’. The protest against this disciplinary action began on February 10, with the student organisation, All India Students Association (AISA), alleging over 10 students were detained on Thursday.

In response, the university heightened security around the campus, with the Rapid Action Force stationed outside the university gate. An official stated the enhanced security was a precautionary measure based on a threat assessment.

Protesters, holding banners with slogans such as “dissent is the legacy of Jamia” and “restore campus democracy”, demanded the withdrawal of the disciplinary action and condemned what they described as a “crackdown on student activism.” They accused the administration of violating their right to free speech and assembly.

The administration, however, claimed the protesters had vandalised university property, including damaging the central canteen and breaking the gate of the security advisor’s office. An official statement from the university said: “A handful of students unlawfully gathered in the academic block from February 10, disturbing classes and preventing others from accessing the central library. They also vandalised property, including the central canteen and broke the security gate, which forced us to

take action.”

The statement further described the students’ actions as disruptive to academic activities, particularly with mid-semester exams approaching and noted some students were found carrying contraband items. The administration also claimed they had offered to discuss the students’ demands; however, the protesters had refused.

The statement concluded by saying the university had removed the students from the protest site, evicted them from campus and requested police assistance to maintain order.