Anzar Afaque

Jamia Millia Islamia Press Release Jamia Millia Islamia Subjected to Widespread Vandalism through the Night of October 27 New Delhi, October 28, 2026 Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) expresses profound shock, dismay, and deep concern over the widespread vandalism, destruction of university property, and serious security breaches reported throughout the night of October 27. On receiving reports of attacks on university walls, the Proctorial team and JMI teachers rushed to the campus to find that groups of protesting students along with locals had vandalized university gates and walls, brought down Gate No. 4 C, pelted stones, damaged CCTV control room, cameras, and disrupted their connections. A group of masked protesters also reportedly reached the university’s Boys’ Hostels in an attempt to mobilize additional support. Videos showing extensive damage to university property, posted by protesting students themselves, have been circulating widely on social media, leaving members of the university community deeply distressed and outraged. Particularly disturbing is the stark contradiction between the protesting students’ engagement in negotiations with committee members and JMI teachers (yesterday evening being the 7th such attempt by the university administration to hold dialogue) and the acts of vandalism that began on campus shortly thereafter. Equally deplorable is the fact that women faculty members, wardens, and provosts were threatened when they attempted to reason with the female protesters. Such conduct is not only unacceptable but also undermines and goes against the very spirit of dialogue and peaceful protest. The incidents of last night follow a week of repeated instances of university gates and boundary walls being scaled, damaged, and broken. However, the magnitude, speed, and intensity of the destruction witnessed on the night of October 27 have raised serious concerns. Videos, CCTV footage, and social media posts indicate that heavy iron rods, hammers, and other tools were used to cause extensive damage to university infrastructure, even as the university has shifted to the online mode as notified on October 24, 2026. Waking up to visuals of the destruction, members of the teaching faculty and non-teaching staff have expressed their utter dismay at the events that unfolded through the night. The reported acts of vandalism have raised grave concerns about the safety and security of students, faculty members, and non-teaching staff. The university’s infrastructure, classrooms, laboratories, and libraries, as well as its security systems, entrances, and exits, are essential to maintaining a safe and secure environment on campus. Any damage to these facilities not only causes significant physical loss with huge financial implications but also compromises the security and well-being of the entire university community. -----

Press Release JMI Teaching and Non-Teaching Staff Strongly Condemn Objectionable Slogans on Campus Walls; University Shifts to Online Mode New Delhi, October 24, 2026 In a significant development amid week-long efforts by a seven-member high-level committee of university professors, constituted on October 18, 2026, to mediate with students protesting for elections to the Jamia Millia Islamia Students’ Union (JMISU); over 1,500 teaching and non-teaching staff of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) along with the Vice-Chancellor of JMI, Prof. Mazhar Asif and Registrar of JMI, Prof. Md. Mahtab Alam Rizvi convened a meeting this morning at the university’s Ansari Auditorium lawns to discuss the way forward. The meeting followed four rounds of talks and an appeal issued by the committee last night urging the students to call off their protests. Expressing dismay over incidents of vandalism and the defacement of campus walls with highly objectionable slogans, JMI faculty members and staff asserted that such actions undermined the academic atmosphere and the dignity of an institution with a distinguished 106-year legacy. The gathering unanimously adopted two resolutions: First, the employees resolved to urge the protesters to vacate the protest site and call off their agitation to restore peace and normalcy on campus, particularly at the Ghalib statue lawns, which had been illegally occupied by the protesting students despite Gate No. 18 being the designated protest site at JMI. Second, faculty and staff resolved to repaint the defaced walls and cover slogans they described as highly condemnable and detrimental to the nation’s integrity, security and sovereignty. They warned that such slogans could cause lasting and irreversible damage to JMI’s reputation and standing. They also expressed shock and disapproval at the falsehoods and misinformation being circulated by students on social media, which could potentially damage the institution and its reputation. The Vice-Chancellor of JMI, Prof. Mazhar Asif, and the Registrar of JMI, Prof. Md. Mahtab Alam Rizvi, expressed serious concern that the defacement of university property and the writing of objectionable slogans threatening the country’s integrity and sovereignty could damage JMI’s standing and adversely affect the credibility of its students, potentially undermining future employment and placement prospects, as well as students’ higher education opportunities. Following the unanimous adoption of the two resolutions, the teaching and non-teaching staff of JMI marched from the Ansari Auditorium lawns, passing through Gate No. 13 and crossing the main road to reach Gate No. 7. After two hours of efforts to persuade the students to call off the protest and restore normalcy on campus, the students continued chanting slogans, shouting that the faculty should “go back” and suddenly began pushing security guards, staff and teachers, refusing to heed to repeated appeals from senior faculty members, even after their demands had been met earlier this week. Eventually, the teachers and staff withdrew from the protest site and returned to the Ansari Auditorium. Taking cognizance of the day’s developments, the administration was compelled to issue a notification announcing that classes across all courses would be conducted online with immediate effect. The decision was taken in view of the prevailing situation and to ensure the safety and security of the university’s bona fide students. ---