Student Groups Clash in Jamia Millia Islamia During Diwali Celebrations, Communal Slogans Raised | Video

A scuffle broke out between two groups of students during Diwali celebrations at Jamia Millia Islamia University here, following which police personnel were deployed outside its gates as a precautionary measure, officials said on Wednesday.

A police officer said no complaint has been received in connection with the incident which took place on Tuesday night.

The Diwali event was organised by the Rashtriya Kala Manch (RKM), a dimension of RSS-backed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) at the university. The ABVP said it will hold a ‘deep mahotsav’ again on Wednesday evening.

Calls and messages to Jamia Millia Islamia University’s Officiating Vice Chancellor Mohammad Shakeel went unanswered.

According to police, the scuffle broke out after a group of students disrupted Diwali celebrations by another. The situation was brought under control and the students dispersed following the intervention of university security personnel.

Purported videos of students chanting “communal” slogans inside the campus are doing the rounds on social media.

After receiving information about tensions inside the university, police personnel were deployed outside its gate and around the campus as a precautionary measure, the officer said.

Another senior officer said local police have been asked to increase vigil around the campus.

Unfazed by the incident, students plan to hold a ‘deep mahotsav’ on the campus on Wednesday evening, according to ABVP national media convener Ashutosh Singh.

“Educational institutes should be open to celebrating all festivals. If an Iftar party can be organised on the campus, Diwali celebrations should also be allowed. We had permission from the proctor’s office for the event (which was held on Tuesday evening).

“There were other students as well, including Muslims, celebrating with us but some radical elements came there and physically assaulted them,” Singh said.

He alleged the university did not take any measures to prevent violence, given the sensitive nature of the issue. The ABVP will file a police complaint in the matter, Singh said.