Delhi police detain over 10 Jamia students protesting disciplinary action against 2 PhD scholars

More than 10 Jamia Millia University students have been detained by the Delhi police after they protested against the university’s disciplinary action against two PhD scholars.

The university administration served a show-cause notice against the two students for organizing a demonstration last year against the university’s policies.

"We removed over 10 students at around 4 am after receiving a request from the university administration. Further, we have deployed heavy police security outside the campus to maintain law and order," a police source said.

Students at Jamia staged a protest on Feb 10 with students condemning what they termed as the administration’s “crackdown on student activism.”

The protest was done after disciplinary actions were taken against the two PhD scholars concerning the December 2024 "Jamia Resistance Day" event, which marked the anniversary of the 2019 anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests.

The university has alleged that the administration was forced to take action against the protesting students as they vandalized the property at the university premises, including the central canteen, and broke the gate of the security advisor's office.

The university also accused the students of carrying "objectionable contraband items.”

"They have violated university rules and were found carrying objectionable contraband items. The university administration, taking a strong view of the damage to university property, defacement of walls, and obstruction of classes, has taken preventive measures to ensure academic activities continue as normal," the university said.

Delhi police said that the Jamia administration requested the intervention of cops to remove the protesters from the premises to avoid further disturbance.

Police issued a statement saying the detained students have been removed and an investigation is underway.

Reportedly, the protesting students denied the administration’s offer to discuss the grievance through a committee and refused to talk with university officials, including the Dean and the supervisor.

Following this, the university administration evicted the protesters from campus, with support from the Proctorial team, and requested police support to maintain order.

The protesters have four key demands which includes revoking the show-cause notices issued to the two PhD students, repealing the 2022 Office Memorandum that restricts protests on campus, scrapping the ₹50,000 fine for graffiti and posters, and ensuring no future disciplinary action against students for participating in protests, student leader Sonakshi told news agency PTI.

The disciplinary committee is set to meet on February 25 to review the role of the two PhD students in organising "Jamia Resistance Day" on December 15, 2024, an annual event marking the 2019 anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests.

On Feb 25, the disciplinary committee will meet to review the role of two PhD students in organizing the annual event of “Jamia Resistance Day” on December 15, 2024, which commemorates the 2019 anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests.

In 2019, massive protests erupted across India against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), passed by the Indian government, aimed to provide a fast-track path to Indian citizenship for non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.

The protest saw massive participation from students, activists, and civil society groups, with some turning violent, leading to clashes with police and widespread arrests.