New Delhi: Several politicians, including Congress’ Shashi Tharoor and AAP’s Raghav Chadha, condemned the action by Delhi Police Sunday on students of Jamia Millia Islamia University who were protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act.
Personnel of the Delhi Police entered the Jamia Millia campus and allegedly beat up students. Many students were grievously injured in the clash.
The university’s Chief Proctor Waseem Ahmed Khan claimed that Delhi Police personnel entered the university by force without any permission and beat up staff members and students who were forced to leave the campus with their hands in the air. Police also lobbed tear gas shells in the library and lathi-charged students.
In the afternoon, the police alleged that students vandalised cars and set three buses on fire in a South Delhi locality. However, students maintain that they did not initiate the violence and were inside college grounds.
Politicians across party lines condemned the actions of the Delhi Police on Twitter, with Congress MP Shashi Tharoor saying the reports of students being detained was “horrifying”.
Congress party’s Randeep Surjewala and Shama Mohamed also condemned the police violence. Party spokesperson Pawan Khera held a press conference at 10 pm slamming the actions of the Delhi Police and criticised the Narendra Modi government for the spread of violence in the country due to CAA protests. He also held Union Home Minister Amit Shah responsible for the actions of Delhi Police.
This is horrifying. For india’s sake stop this brutality. Students represent the best of India’s future. #JamiaProtests https://t.co/lZO8pBuoVT
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) December 15, 2019
Also read: AMU students protest against citizenship law after Jamia clashes, police fire teargas
Former BJP Union Minister, Yashwant Sinha called it “the 1974 moment of Modi Sarkar”.
This is the 1974 moment of Modi sarkar. The beginning of the end.
— Yashwant Sinha (@YashwantSinha) December 15, 2019
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal assured that the real miscreants would be punished, while Deputy CM Manish Sisodia announced that all government and private schools of Okhla, Jamia, New Friends Colony, Madanpur Khadar region in South East District in Delhi will be closed Monday.
AAP’s Atishi and Raghav Chadha accused the BJP for spreading false propaganda and orchestrating acts of violence. In response to this, BJP IT Head Amit Malviya tweeted a video of students allegedly from Jamia throwing stones and said AAP was burning Delhi.
BJP is orchestrating acts of violence in different parts of the city in order to vitiate the environment. They think they can reap electoral benefits by polarising the society. AAP has absolutely nothing do with the violent protests. We condemn BJP's falsehood and propaganda. pic.twitter.com/HaIbk7WliP
— Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) December 15, 2019
Next I am waiting for apologists of violent Jamia students to call them ‘Gandhian with stones’… Is this what ‘minority’ institutions breed? #AAPBurningDelhi pic.twitter.com/EaYLquQnaD
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) December 15, 2019
In the middle of all of this, the official handle of the Press Information Bureau tweeted, saying Jamia University was turning into a warzone and to stop violence against students. The tweet was deleted soon after, and PIB clarified that a member of their social media team tweeted her personal comments from the official handle and said “suitable action” would be taken against her.
A member of our Social Media team inadvertently tweeted from the @PIB_India handle her personal comments on the situation in Jamia Millia. The error is deeply regretted. Suitable action is being taken.
— PIB India (@PIB_India) December 15, 2019