Thousands of students took to the streets in the national capital on Monday against the police crackdown in Jamia Millia Islamia with demonstrations at campuses of JMI and Delhi University amid heavy police deployment.
As many as 50 detained students of JMI were released even as the situation in the campus remained tense, with scores of hostel students leaving for home. University Vice-Chancellor Najma Akhtar demanded a high-level inquiry into the police action on Sunday.
Delhi Police said that the crime branch will investigate the violence in which four DTC buses, 100 private vehicles and 10 police bikes were damaged and asserted that it used "maximum restrain, minimum force" despite being "provoked" by protesters.
Several students of Delhi University boycotted exams and held protest outside the Arts Faculty in North Campus even as a large number of police personnel were deployed by authorities to prevent any flare up.
Braving freezing cold, agitated students, some of them shirtless, protested outside the the gates of JMI university. Slogans of 'Inquilab Zindabad' rent the air as the students took out a march, demanding a CBI inquiry into the alleged "police brutality".
Anas Siddiqui, a student, said that the police called them "terrorists" and dared them to come out of the campus and face them.
The Jamia Millia Islamia had turned into a battlefield on Sunday as police entered the campus and also used force, following violent protest against the Act.
Vice-Chancellor Akhtar asserted that the university will not tolerate police presence on campus. She also made it clear that the Jamia administration will not allow any political person to visit the university and will only coordinate with the HRD Ministry.
"Police entered the campus without permission. We will not tolerate police presence on campus. They scared our students with police brutality. There has been huge damage to university property," Akhtar said at a press conference here.
"We will file a complaint on damage of property and police action on students. We want a high-level inquiry. I will present facts to the HRD Minister. I have already spoken to the HRD Secretary and briefed him about the situation," she added.
After days of protest against the Act, the University had on Saturday announced vacation till January 5 and cancelled all exams.
Delhi Police PRO MS Randhawa said that the crime branch will investigate the Sunday incident. "There was no firing, there have been no casualties in Jamia violence. The crime branch will investigate Jamia violence. Thorough investigation will be done and accountability will be fixed," he said at a press conference.
"Four DTC buses, 100 private vehicles and 10 police bikes were damaged during the violence. One policeman is in the ICU," he added.
Randhawa said police are keeping a watch on social media.
"We are monitoring social media. I appeal to the students and public at large to not pay any heed to rumours," he said.
Police released 35 students detained on Sunday from the Kalkaji Police Station and 15 from the New Friends Colony Police Station, a senior official said.
In the wake of the tense situation, IGNOU shifted all examination centres in Jamia to alternative places.
All schools in the South East Delhi area including Jamia, New Friends Colony, Okhla and Madanpur Khadar remained closed.
Jamia metro station's entry and exit gates were closed on Monday in the wake of protests.
The protesting students were joined by their parents and other supporters. Saira Bano, 55, whose two children study in the university, said "no mother would tolerate atrocities being inflicted on students of Jamia".
Zaheer Ahmed, 60, said he was accompanying his daughter to the protest against "the politics of hatred".
Shaheen Kausar, 52, who led a group of women to the protest site, said the students were "dragged, pushed, kicked and caned."
Carrying a tricolour, students clapped and raised slogans against the central government and the Delhi Police during the protests. A few also live-streamed the protest on Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms.
"Our colleagues have been beaten up badly. The policemen entered bathrooms, libraries and beat up girls. Our protest is against the goons called Delhi Police," a research scholar, who did not wish to be identified.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and university Vice-Chancellor Najma Akhtar did not even bother to visit the injured students, the protesters alleged.
The Supreme Court took serious note of rioting and destruction of public property during the protests and agreed to hear on Tuesday pleas alleging police atrocities on students in JMI and at the Aligarh Muslim University.
It, however, added that it will not hear the issue in such an atmosphere of violence.
A PIL was also moved in the Delhi High Court against the police action in JMI but the bench declined to list it on Monday, saying "there is no urgency".
Amid a blame game between the BJP and opposition parties on the violence during protests, Chief
Minister Kejriwal said he has sought time from Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the "deteriorating" law and order situation in the national capital.
"I am very worried about the deteriorating law and order in Delhi. Peace should be restored immediately in Delhi - for this, I have asked Home Minister Amit Shah for an appointment," Kejriwal said.
Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari accused Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia of circulating a "fake" video and alleging a bus was torched by the police during violence and arson in Jamia Nagar area.
Sisodia had tweeted a video of the incident on Sunday and written: "The BJP scared of defeat in (Assembly) polls is putting Delhi on Fire."'
Tiwari also urged students not to become a pawn of political parties who were trying to instigate them.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
