Protestors gathered peacefully around Jami Milia Islamia University on Sunday afternoon (December 15, 2019) in opposition of the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 when they were interrupted by the police who started using unnecessary violence against students. Reportedly the police barged into the hostels, the JMI Library and the prayer hall on campus. They started shooting out shells of tear gas and lathi charged the students – thereby hurting both girls and boys.
The police also assaulted female reporters who had come to cover the news. 51 people who had been involved in the Jamia police action have been admitted to a hospital near Jamia. A mob of unruly protestors set public vehicles to fire and damaged parked vehicles. Students claim that these mobsters were unknown elements that joined the protests midway. The police, without differentiating between young, innocent students and uncontrollable hooligans, handed out similar treatment to all. The students of Aligarh Muslim University who were out on a solidarity march for the Jamia students were too beaten up brutally. The police tried to stop the students at the gates of the University by using batons, teargas and water cannons.
Registrar Abdul Hamid of AMU said that the hostel are being evacuated and the university will remain closed till January 5, 2020. Vice Chancellor Najma Akhtar of Jamia has appealed to the students to maintain peace while the Jamia Teachers’ Association has requested students to keep away from directionless protests led by local political leaders. The Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal has urged citizens to remain non-violent. Jamia has been closed for winter vacations and students’ semester examinations have been postponed.
Later, on Sunday night, around 9 pm, hundreds of teachers, students and other citizens gathered outside Delhi police headquarters at ITO in protest against the police brutality on Jamia Students. On the other hand, violence continued in west Bengal while the Chief Minister, Mamta Banerjee requested people to maintain peace. 100 persons have been arrested and 2000 have been detained in Assam. A video released by NDTV India shows the police itself vandalizing and burning vehicles outside AMU and Jamia.
Delhi High Court today refused urgent listing of plea seeking intervention in Jamia incident through judicial inquiry by this Court. Petition said the 52 detained and injured students should be given proper medical attention and compensation.
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