Delhi Police have registered an FIR against Congress MPs Imran Masood and Imran Pratapgarhi and others in connection with protests at Jamia Millia Islamia over the demand to restore student union elections, according to a complaint from the university administration.
The case concerns allegations that the MPs entered the university campus without permission and encouraged unrest during the student demonstrations. Imran Masood is a Lok Sabha member, while Imran Pratapgarhi is a Rajya Sabha member. The police action followed a complaint submitted by the Jamia administration.
The protests have continued for around two weeks, with students demanding the restoration of Jamia Millia Islamia Students’ Union elections, which have been suspended since 2006. Four students have reportedly been on hunger strike for 14 days. The demonstrations have centred on Gate No. 7, where students and members of different student organisations have been gathering.
On Sunday evening, police and security personnel removed more than half a dozen people who were protesting outside Gate No. 7, according to the report. Those removed included students associated with the All India Students’ Association, the National Students’ Union of India and other left-leaning student groups. Security forces were also deployed around the university, its main gates and nearby roads.
The administration and student groups have offered differing accounts of the events. The administration alleged that, after about two hours of discussions, some students pushed security guards and teachers. The Students’ Federation of India, however, alleged that the administration dragged female students, dismantled protest tents and that police detained several students outside Gate No. 7. These allegations remain part of the competing accounts surrounding the protest.
The university also reported that protesters handed over a young man to the police after alleging that he had entered the campus wearing a university security guard’s uniform. The report did not provide further details about the person or indicate whether charges had been filed in that matter.
On Saturday, Vice-Chancellor Mazhar Asif and Registrar Mohammad Mehtab Alam Rizvi, along with more than 1,500 employees, marched towards Gate No. 7 in an effort to persuade the protesting students to end their agitation. The attempt did not resolve the standoff, and students continued shouting slogans and demonstrating inside the campus late into the night.
The FIR names the two MPs and other individuals in relation to the allegations of unauthorised entry and provoking unrest. Police investigations are continuing, while a heavy security presence remains outside the university and around its principal access routes.
