Delhi Police detained 10 people, including Congress MP Imran Masood, near Jamia Millia Islamia on Friday as protests demanding the restoration of the university’s students’ union intensified. Samajwadi Party MP Mohibbullah Nadvi was also detained while on his way to meet the protesting students and was later released.
The protest, which began on October 12, has seen students stage an indefinite hunger strike demanding the restoration of the Jamia Millia Islamia Students’ Union (JMISU) and an official notification announcing the schedule for elections. The university has not had an elected students’ union since 2006, with the last elections held in 2005.
Nadvi, the Samajwadi Party MP from Rampur, alleged that police pushed and manhandled him before detaining him. Masood, who arrived at the campus to express solidarity with the protesters, questioned the university administration’s reluctance to restore the union and said the students’ demands were legitimate.
The agitation has also drawn support from other opposition leaders. Rashtriya Janata Dal Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Yadav has written to Jamia Vice-Chancellor Mazhar Asif, urging the administration to restore the union, withdraw disciplinary action against protesting students and establish a transparent, time-bound election process.
The university administration has constituted a committee to draft a new constitution for the students’ union. However, the protesters have maintained that the move does not address their immediate demand for an official election schedule.
The demonstrations have also triggered a controversy over graffiti reported on campus walls, including slogans such as “Free Kashmir” and “Free Sharjeel Imam”. The Vishva Hindu Parishad has demanded action against those responsible. The university administration has condemned the slogans and said it is working to identify those involved. The Press Trust of India has said it could not independently verify the authenticity of photographs of the graffiti.
The protest continued on Friday, with women students also holding a march in solidarity with those demanding the restoration of the students’ union.
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