Police, protestors injured, vehicles set on fire
JMI students not involved in Violence: Jamia VC
WEB DESK
Protest against new Citizen law turned violent in south Delhi near Jamia Millia Islamia when a mob pelted stones at the police and that the police used batons and tear gas. By the end of it, three buses and several two wheelers were set ablaze, a fire tender was vandalized and two firemen were injured.
Later in the evening, the police detained a number of students. The university said the police had forcibly entered the campus and assaulted the students.
“The police have entered the campus by force, no permission was given. Our staff and students are being beaten up and forced to leave the campus,” said Waseem Ahmed Khan, Chief Proctor of the university.
In a statement released shortly after the violence, the students said, “We have time and again maintained our protests are peaceful and non-violent. We stand by this approach and condemn any party involved in violence”. The violence “by certain elements” was an attempt to vilify and discredit genuine protests, they said.
While the violence was on, Jamia Vice Chancellor Najma Akhtar appealed to the students to keep the peace and return to the campus “Everything will be all right but we can’t protect students if they leave the campus,” she told NDTV.
Later in the evening, the police were seen escorting a number of students to the local police station. Hands held above their head, they were seen walking along the footpath, hurried along by several policemen.
Metro operation on the city’s Magenta Line – where the university is located – was affected, with the entry and exit gates of five stations being shut. Sukhdev Vihar Station, Jamia Millia Islamia, Okhla Vihar and Jasola Vihar Shaheen Bagh, as well as Gate No.3 of the Ashram Station, were shut early on. Road traffic was also diverted from the area.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has condemned the violence. “No one shud indulge in violence. Any kind of violence is unacceptable. Protests shud remain peaceful,” his tweet read.
Violence had scarred parts of the country since the citizenship law – meant to facilitate grant of citizenship to religious minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh living in India – was passed. Much of the violence had taken place in the northeastern states, Bengal and Delhi.
