Fourteen students from Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) were detained by the Delhi Police early Thursday morning, February 13, following three days of protest against show-cause notices issued to student activists by the university. The detentions occurred just hours after the university administration suspended six students, accusing them of vandalising university property.
The protest, which had been ongoing since February 10, was triggered by the administration’s disciplinary action against students who participated in a December 2024 demonstration marking the fifth anniversary of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests and the brutal police crackdown on JMI students in 2019. Protesters argued that the show-cause notices were a blatant attempt to silence student activism on campus.
University’s allegations and student denials
In a statement, the JMI administration accused the protesters of damaging university property, including the central canteen and the security advisor’s office, as well as defacing walls with slogans. The administration further alleged that the protesters carried “contraband objects” and disrupted academic activities.
“Official statement of JMI
A handful of students called for a protest, unlawfully gathering in the academic block since the evening of 10 Feb 2025. Since then, they have not only disturbed the peaceful conduct of classes in the academic block of the university but also prevented other students from accessing the Central Library, attending classes at a time when mid semester exams are about to begin at JMI campus.
These handful of students have in the last two days vandalised university property, including the central canteen and also broken the gate of the security advisor forcing the JMI administration to take action. They have violated other university rules and found carrying objectionable contraband items. The university administration taking a strong view of the damage to university property and defacement of the wall and the obstruction of the classes, has taken preventive measures so that the university continues to conduct classes and other academic activities as normal.
Despite the University administration has given open offer to discuss their demands in the committee, they refused to listen and talk to the administration including supervisor, head and Dean.
Taking preventive measures, today morning the university administration and the Proctorial team removed the students from the site of the protest and they have been evicted from the campus. The police have been requested to maintain law and order situation.”
Official statement of JMI
A handful of students called for a protest, unlawfully gathering in the academic block since the evening of 10 Feb 2025. Since then they have not only disturbed the peaceful conduct of classes in the academic block of the university but also prevented…
— Jamia Millia Islamia (NAAC A++ Grade Central Univ) (@jmiu_official) February 13, 2025
However, students have vehemently denied these allegations, calling them an excuse to suppress dissent. A student speaking to The Hindustan Times refuted the administration’s claims, stating, “I visited the canteen during the day, and everything was intact. There was no damage whatsoever.”
Despite the administration’s claim that the police never entered the campus, multiple students recounted being forcibly evicted by security guards and subsequently handed over to the police. Students alleged that their phones were snatched, preventing them from contacting anyone during the detentions.
Detention and alleged police brutality
As per multiple media reports, around 5:30 am on Thursday, security personnel dragged sleeping protesters from their site near the central canteen before handing them over to the Delhi Police. The detained students were then taken to multiple police stations across South East Delhi, including Bawana, Badarpur, and Fatehpur Beri. They were held in custody for nearly nine hours before being released at 3:00 pm.
Several students accused the police of manhandling them and confiscating their phones. Uthara UR, a 22-year-old MA Sociology student, told The Hindustan Times reporters that “Our protest was peaceful. I was asleep when I was carried away by security guards. We were not allowed to call anyone. The police took our phones and treated us like criminals.”
The police, however, denied allegations of misconduct. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Ravi Kumar Singh claimed that the detentions were carried out lawfully after the university administration brought the students outside campus.
The Broader Context: systematic repression at JMI
The protest stemmed from mounting frustration over what students describe as the systematic suppression of dissent at JMI. The administration has repeatedly cracked down on activism, issuing prohibitive guidelines against demonstrations and public gatherings. A 2022 office memorandum effectively banned student protests by mandating prior administrative approval for any gathering of more than five people. Student organisations argue that this rule is being weaponised to curtail freedom of expression and even basic academic discussions on campus.
Tensions escalated in December 2024 when the administration issued show-cause notices to students who participated in a candlelight march commemorating the 2019 CAA protests. This march, led by leftist student groups such as the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the All India Students’ Association (AISA), was met with disciplinary action. Protesters demanded the immediate withdrawal of these notices, viewing them as a continuation of the administration’s efforts to erase Jamia’s long-standing culture of student activism.
Student unions argue that the administration’s actions are not only undemocratic but also hypocritical. While citing academic disruptions as justification for the crackdown, JMI itself has failed to conduct student union elections for nearly two decades, effectively depriving students of institutional representation.
Condemnation from rights groups and student organisations
The response to the administration’s actions has been swift and critical. The All India Forum for Right to Education (AIFRTE), a coalition of students, teachers, and democratic organisations, issued a strong statement condemning what it called an “undemocratic intervention by police and university administration in the democratic struggles of students.” It demanded the immediate and unconditional revocation of all suspensions and disciplinary actions.
The detained students, once released, were met with an outpouring of solidarity from fellow students. Hundreds gathered on Thursday evening, defying administrative warnings, to continue their protest. AISA, in a statement, declared, “This day will go down in Jamia’s history as both a day of shame and resistance.” Protesters have given the administration a 24-hour ultimatum to withdraw all disciplinary actions or face intensified demonstrations.
#SOS from #Jamia!#DelhiPolice detained protesting students from Jamia’s Central Canteen at 5 AM!
Shame on the VC & Proctor for their intimidation tactics and crackdown on students!
Jamia Admin & Delhi Police are illegally detaining students en masse from campus! pic.twitter.com/196Z9kHtUp
— AISA (@AISA_tweets) February 13, 2025
An escalating crackdown on student dissent
JMI’s actions fit into a broader pattern of increasing authoritarianism on Indian campuses, where student voices are being systematically stifled. From the 2019 police brutality against Jamia students during the anti-CAA movement to the present crackdown on peaceful protest, the administration has repeatedly acted in a manner that prioritises control over democratic engagement.
The university’s latest disciplinary measures not only violate fundamental rights to protest and assemble but also undermine the spirit of academic freedom. By branding student activism as misconduct and deploying police force against its own students, JMI is sending a clear message: dissent will not be tolerated.
As the administration continues its repressive tactics, the question remains—how far will it go to silence its students? And more importantly, how long will the students of Jamia, and the wider academic community, allow this erosion of campus democracy to continue?
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