Jamia Millia Islamia has shifted classes online and deployed police and campus security personnel after the university administration alleged that protesting students, accompanied by locals, vandalised campus gates, damaged CCTV infrastructure and pelted stones at the premises late Tuesday night. The developments came as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi was expected to visit the campus on Wednesday.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the university administration said members of its proctorial team and faculty reached the campus after receiving reports of a breach of the boundary walls. They allegedly found groups of protesters dismantling gates and walls, bringing down Gate No. 4C and throwing stones at university premises.
The administration said the protesters damaged the CCTV control room, cameras and their connections. It also alleged that heavy iron rods, hammers and other tools were used to target key security infrastructure. The reported damage affects systems used for surveillance and campus access management, although the university did not provide an assessment of the financial cost or specify how long repairs would take.
According to the university, a group of masked protesters reached the boys’ hostels in an attempt to mobilise additional support. Videos showing damage to campus infrastructure were circulated on social media. The administration also said women faculty members, wardens and provosts were threatened while attempting to reason with female protesters. These claims were made in the university’s statement and were not independently established in the supplied report.
The unrest follows continuing student protests over various demands. The university said Tuesday’s discussions were the seventh attempt by its administration to engage with the protesting students through dialogue. It described the alleged vandalism as a sharp escalation after talks between protesters, committee members and Jamia teachers.
Jamia Millia Islamia had already suspended physical classes and moved teaching online from October 24 amid tensions on campus. The decision allows academic activity to continue remotely while limiting the movement of students and staff through affected areas. The report did not specify the demands driving the agitation or set out a date for the resumption of in-person classes.
Police and campus security personnel were deployed to prevent further escalation, particularly ahead of Rahul Gandhi’s expected visit. The university administration has condemned the alleged violence and is continuing to manage the campus through online teaching, security deployment and engagement with protesting students.
