Jamia Vice Chancellor reaches out to protesting students, makes a promise on FIR against cops

The Jamia Millia Islamia campus was the scene of tension after protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA turned violent in neighbouring areas on December 15, 2019.

Hundreds of Jamia Millia Islamia students protested outside the office of the Vice Chancellor Najma Akhtar on Monday demanding registration of an FIR against Delhi Police in connection with last month’s violence on the campus.

Jamia Vice Chancellor Najma Akhtar confronted by angry students on Monday who were demanding case against Delhi Police over last month’s crackdown.(Burhaan Kinu/HT Photo)

Akhtar told the students that the process to register FIR will begin on Tuesday. “Don’t ask me exact dates. When I said today that FIR will happen, that means it will happen,” she said.

Akhtar also said she had written to the government on the violence that left over 200 injured and said she would stand by the students.

The Jamia administration also cancelled the ongoing semester exams on the demand of the protesting students. The university administration said in a statement that new schedule for exams will be announced later.

The call for Monday’s protest was given by the student-led Jamia Coordination Committee which wanted registration of FIR in the alleged police excesses of December 15 and the damage of university property.

The vice chancellor also assured students that they are safe on campus. Angry students claimed that notices were given to vacate the hostel post the violence, a charge denied by Akhtar.

The Jamia Millia Islamia campus was the scene of tension following protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA erupting in violence in the neighbouring areas of Shaheen Bagh and Jamia Nagar on December 15, 2019. Protesters torched four public buses and two police vehicles as they clashed with police in New Friends’ Colony during the protest, leaving nearly 60 people including students, cops and firefighters injured.

The police had stormed into the campus after the violence on the streets and have been accused of assaulting students.