Students call for Diwali event at Jamia, Delhi cops step up security

Police said the students — officers claimed many were “outsiders” — did not have permission from the university to protest

The Delhi Police tightened security around Jamia Millia Islamia on Wednesday, a day after two groups of students scuffled over Diwali decorations at the university.

Police outside Jamia Millia Islamia on Wednesday. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

Police said more than 20 personnel were deployed outside the university as a precautionary measure, even as a group of students began a demonstration at the campus gate, demanding permission to hold a Diwali event.

Police said the students — officers claimed many were “outsiders” — did not have permission from the university to protest, and were “removed” to another spot.

“We didn’t even take them to the police station. They were released a little far from the campus,” a senior police officer said, on condition of anonymity.

Police said that no first information report (FIR) has been filed in connection with the clashes on Tuesday or the protest on Wednesday.

Deputy commissioner of police (southeast) Ravi Kumar Singh did not comment on the matter.

HT reached out to Jamia, but officials there did not comment on the matter.

Late on Wednesday night, some of the protesting students came back to the Jamia campus, burst firecrackers, and staged a protest against police and the university administration.

Despite the complete ban on the use of firecrackers in the Capital, police staff looked on as mute spectators and did not take action against those transgressing the law. Officers later claimed that they were trying to maintain law and order, and thus did not act against those bursting fireworks.