While the Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, Nazma Akhtar, said that the police had entered the campus without her permission, she also added that there was no call for protests from the students and the protestors, mostly locals, broke the gate and came into the university. While the police were clearing the campus of these protestors they "could not differentiate between the real culprits and therefore some students were injured in the ensuing action by the police," she told ANI. She also said that the administration will not allow any political person to visit Jamia, all coordination is to happen with the HRD Ministry. The students vehemently refuted her statement and said that there were multiple calls for protests, and among them were calls from Jamia students as well.
The students added that the police did not hit them like they wanted to disperse a crowd but like they had the intent to kill and the VC's statement had now got them confused about which side she is on. Chandan Kumar, a third-year Mass Media student of Jamia was on the front line throughout the ominous day, "Even if I agree that there were locals and the police were trying to chase them out why would they hit them like this? They hit us like they wanted to kill us," he recalled.
While Jamia's Chief Proctor Wasim Ahmed Khan was seen condemning the police brutality, the VC's comments seemed like she was justifying the police's acts. "There was no call for protests by students of Jamia today. According to the information I received, a call had been given by members of the surrounding colonies nearby Jamia to march towards Juliena, who carried out the protest. They clashed with the police and got inside the campus by breaking the gate of the University and they entered our hostel and our library," she said. "In the library, our students were sitting and the police could not differentiate between the real culprits and therefore some students were injured in the ensuing action by the police," the VC added.
Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Sunday said that Police entering Jamia Millia Islamia without the permission of Vice-Chancellor was a "very-very serious matter". Khurshid who earlier met injured in the Holy Family Hospital, said, "We were told that a lot of patients here. But my coming here has confirmed that patients have largely been discharged. There is an issue about people who remain in detention with the Police. We are trying to deal with that. I spoke to the Vice-Chancellor. The Vice-Chancellor is trying to deal with it. Vice-Chancellor confirmed to me that Police entered the University without her permission. That I think is a very very serious matter," he said. Stressing that this is a fight about morality, Khurshid said, "I want to tell you one thing. This is a fight about morality. We should not tolerate "wrong people" entering it and doing "wrong things"."
He also informed that they will be moving to court on Monday. Congress leader Subhash Chopra claimed that 51 people were admitted here out of which six were students. He also expressed doubt whether some students who were in a serious condition were shifted. "We strongly condemn the brutal attack on children. Police have no right to enter the campus of JMI. It is the right of students to protest," he said.
(With inputs from ANI)
