Jamia students protest RSS centenary event, claim manhandling

Hundreds of students staged a protest at Jamia Millia Islamia on Tuesday against an event linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) centenary year celebrations, leading to heavy security deployment outside the campus and tension near the university’s engineering faculty.

Personnel from the Delhi Police were stationed at key entry points as students gathered to oppose the programme, reportedly being held inside the Faculty of Engineering and Technology auditorium. Protesters raised slogans and demanded the cancellation of the event, saying such a programme was not suitable for a central university campus.

The protest was led by several student organisations, including the Left wing student organisations Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and All India Students’ Association (AISA), All India Revolutionary Students Organisation, Congress affiliate National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), Delhi Independent Student Citizen Collective, and Fraternity Movement.

SFI members alleged that they were injured in clashes during the protest, a claim the administration of Jamia denied.

The programme was described by student groups as part of ‘Yuva Kumbh’, an event marking 100 years of the RSS.

Agraj, a BA (Hons) Mass Media Hindi student, who is not affiliated to any student organisation, alleged that he saw Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel inside the campus control centre and was wondering how they were there.

The student claimed security personnel manhandled him after he photographed them, asking him to delete the pictures from his phone. However, The Tribune has accessed the pictures of RAF personnel inside the campus.

Students also levelled allegations against Abdul Rashid, who currently holds the newly created post of security advisor at the university. Protesters accused him of repeatedly misusing authority and mistreating students.

Atiq, joint secretary of Jamia’s SFI unit and a Master’s student from the Inclusive Study Department, said the protest was specifically against the RSS and its ideology. “We can allow BJP but will not allow RSS. And we will not have any problem if RSS’ student body Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad was organising something, but we specifically have a problem with RSS,” he said.

Atiq also alleged that permission for the event was a “direct provocation”.

He also alleged manhandling by university guards, claiming that students from AISA and NSUI also reported being pushed.

The NSUI condemned the programme and carried out a joint protest alongside SFI and AISA against the event at the campus auditorium. In his statement, NSUI national president Vinod Jakhar said, “It is unacceptable that while students are penalised for raising their voices, organisations promoting divisive ideologies

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