Delhi Police detained Congress MP Imran Masood on Friday after he joined students protesting at Jamia Millia Islamia University over the restoration of student union elections. Samajwadi Party MP Mohibbullah Nadvi also alleged that police pushed and manhandled him while he was on his way to meet the protesters. Nadvi was later released.
A total of 10 people were detained amid the protest, according to PTI. The agitation, which began on October 12, has centred on students’ demand for the restoration of the Jamia Millia Islamia Students’ Union (JMISU) and an official notification announcing the election schedule.
Masood joined the agitation in support of the students and questioned why the university had not restored the elected student body.
“The students’ demands are justified. Why is the student union not being reinstated? These students are the future of the country. Why are attempts being made to crush the future of the country?” Masood said.
Why Are Jamia Students Protesting?
The student agitation began on October 12, with protesters demanding that the university announce the election schedule for the JMISU for the 2026-27 academic session. Jamia has been without an elected student union since 2006, with the last elections held in 2005.
Women students have also joined the agitation, raising slogans in support of the movement. They have maintained that the protest will continue until the university officially announces the election date.
The university administration has formed a committee to draft a new constitution for the student union and review disciplinary action taken or initiated against protesting students. However, students have insisted that their immediate demand is an official notification announcing the election schedule.
Tensions escalated on October 17 when authorities attempted to remove demonstrators from the university’s Ghalib Lawn near Gate No. 7. Several student organisations have since backed the protesters’ demands.
SP MP Mohibbullah Nadvi Alleges Police Manhandling
Nadvi, the Samajwadi Party MP from Rampur and a Jamia alumnus, alleged that police detained him while he was on his way to meet the protesting students.
Speaking to PTI, he claimed that police pushed and manhandled him while he was raising his voice in support of students’ rights. He said that, as a former student of Jamia, he considered it his duty to support the protesters. Nadvi was later released.
University Acts Over Slogans On Campus Walls
The agitation has also coincided with a controversy over slogans written on campus walls, including “VC Go Back”. The university administration condemned the slogans and said it was attempting to identify those responsible, warning that strict action would be taken against them.
A university official said the writing had been removed using chemical agents. The official also alleged that some CCTV cameras had been tampered with and their wiring disconnected or damaged in areas where the slogans appeared.
Meanwhile, security has been tightened around the campus, with students undergoing checks before being allowed to enter departments and centres as the protests continue.