Jamia Millia Islamia University Vice Chancellor Najma Akhtar on Monday addressed the media on the police action on the students and stated that the university will approach the HRD Ministry and seek a high-level inquiry into the alleged attack. Addressing the media along with AP Siddiqui, Registrar of Jamia Millia Islamia, Akhtar said that the police entered the university campus without permission and around 200 students have been injured in the crackdown.
“The 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. We will file FIR on damage of property and police action on students, we want high level inquiry. I will present facts to the HRD Minister," Akhtar said at the press conference.
She also denied rumours of student casualties in the police action.
“There has been a rumour that two students died but we deny this totally. None of our students have died. About 200 people were injured of which many were our students,” Akhtar said.
On reports that the police entered the mosque on campus and allegedly sexually harassed female students, AP Siddiqui, Registrar of Jamia Millia Islamia said, “ A lot of rumours are being floated on social media. We can't confirm or deny all of them.”
Meanwhile, Delhi Minorities Commission (DMC) on Monday sought information from students and others injured during the Jamia protest against the amended Citizenship Act. The DMC has issued a form where "victims" of the protest held on Sunday have been asked to register their grievances.
On Sunday, protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act grew violent after four public buses and two police vehicles were torched. Protesters clashed with police in New Friends' Colony near Jamia university during a demonstration against the amended Citizenship Act, leaving six cops and two firemen injured, police officials said. Students of Jamia have said they had nothing to do with the violence and arson and alleged that "certain elements" had joined in and "disrupted" the demonstration.
Later, Jamia Millia Islamia Proctor Waseem Ahmed Khan claimed that Delhi Police entered the campus forcibly without any permission and beat up staff members and students who were then forced to leave the campus.
The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear on Tuesday the petition over the police action on students protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 at Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia University and Aligarh Muslim University. A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde took note of the rioting and destruction of public property during protests against the Act and said the court will hear the plea if the rioting stops.