Jamia Millia Islamia hunger strike enters 12th day as university builds gate wall, two MPs detained

Jamia Millia Islamia protests: hunger strike enters 12th day, authorities respond

Students at Jamia Millia Islamia have been on a hunger strike for twelve consecutive days, pressing the university to hold fresh student‑union elections and to lift disciplinary action against participants. The protest, which began on the Ghalib Lawn, has drawn support from various student groups and has kept the campus unusually quiet.

Student demands and the university’s high‑level committee

On 18 October, the university formed a seven‑member high‑level committee, chaired by Vice‑Chancellor Prof. Mazhar Asif and including senior officials such as Registrar Prof. Md. Mahtab Alam Rizvi and the Dean of Students’ Welfare. The panel’s remit is to engage with the protesting students, examine their grievances and recommend steps to restore normalcy, university officials said.

Construction of a wall at Gate No 10 explained as security upgrade

While the hunger strike continues, university workers have begun erecting a wall in front of Gate No 10, near the Ibn Sina Library. A university spokesperson, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the structure as part of the institution’s annual security‑upgrade exercise and denied any link to the protest. Students, however, argue the barrier is intended to limit access to the protest site on Ghalib Lawn.

Detentions of two Congress MPs

Delhi police detained two Congress members – MP Imran Masood and Maulana Mohibullah Nadvi – outside the campus on Friday. Masood, who had visited the university to meet striking students, publicly rejected reports that “free Kashmir” slogans were raised on campus, insisting that Kashmir is an integral part of India. He also called for the restoration of student‑union elections, calling the students “the future of the country”.

Unrelated development: US arrest of a Haryana gangster

In a separate story, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation captured notorious Haryana gangster Himanshu Bhau, who was wanted for a series of murders, extortion and shootings across Delhi and Haryana. The arrest was coordinated with India’s National Investigation Agency, Delhi Police and the Haryana Special Task Force, following an Interpol Red Corner notice issued in 2023.

The Jamia episode underscores how university administration and law‑enforcement agencies are working in tandem to maintain campus order while addressing student concerns, a balance the government says is essential for the nation’s stability.