Jamia Students Face Off With Cops As Tensions Rise Over Elections; Campus Entry Closed, Security Tightened

News india Jamia Students Face Off With Cops As Tensions Rise Over Elections; Campus Entry Closed, Security Tightened

Last Updated:October 25, 2026, 14:24 IST

Jamia Millia Islamia students confront Delhi Police at Gate No. 4 as security is tightened amid the demand for students' union elections.

Tensions escalated at Jamia Millia Islamia on Sunday as students confronted Delhi Police personnel at Gate No. 4, an entry point used to access the university hostel, amid an ongoing protest demanding the restoration of students’ union elections.

Students and police personnel remained at the main gate as security was increased and entry was closed, according to the details. The confrontation comes a day after Jamia Millia Islamia suspended offline classes and shifted to online teaching as tensions mounted over the students’ agitation.

The university has also ordered the closure of its gates and libraries until further notice, citing the need to ensure students’ safety and security and maintain continuity in the teaching-learning process.

The protest, which began nearly two weeks ago, centres on the demand for the restoration of the Jamia Millia Islamia Students’ Union (JMISU). Students have pointed out that elections to the students’ body have not been held since 2006.

The development follows a tense confrontation on Saturday between protesting students and university staff at the hunger strike site. The university administration and student groups have offered differing accounts of the events that unfolded during the face-off.

JAMIA SHIFTS CLASSES ONLINE, CLOSES GATES

In a notice issued on Saturday, the university’s registrar’s office said classes had been moved online as a precautionary measure to ensure students’ safety and security.

Students across all courses were asked to follow their online class schedules and avoid visiting the campus. The university also announced that its gates and libraries would remain closed until further notice.

The decision came after more than 1,500 teaching and non-teaching staff members, along with Vice-Chancellor Mazhar Asif and Registrar Md Mahtab Alam Rizvi, gathered at the Ansari Auditorium lawns and later marched towards Gate No. 7.

According to the university, the staff members unanimously resolved to appeal to the protesting students to vacate the agitation site and restore normalcy on campus. They also decided to repaint walls bearing what the administration described as “objectionable slogans".

The administration said its representatives tried to persuade the protesters to end their agitation for nearly two hours. However, the students continued raising slogans and asked the faculty members to return.

The university alleged that some protesters pushed security guards, staff members and teachers, prompting the staff to withdraw from the site.

STUDENTS ALLEGE FORCE, DEMAND RESIGNATIONS

The Students’ Federation of India (SFI), Jamia unit, presented a different account of the confrontation, alleging that university officials, including the proctor and registrar, along with the security adviser, attempted to forcibly remove the hunger strikers.

The SFI alleged that tents were dismantled and women students were dragged during the confrontation. Students have demanded the resignation of the chief proctor and security adviser over the alleged use of force.

A student at the protest site also alleged that university officials, security guards and faculty members attempted to remove the protesters’ tents after talks failed.

According to the student, the situation escalated over the next 15 to 20 minutes, forcing five hunger strikers to move inside a department while other students attempted to shield them.

The student further alleged that police personnel were present in large numbers outside the university, students were being prevented from entering the campus, and some protesters were dragged away and detained.

STUDENTS DEMAND UNION ELECTIONS

The agitation has continued amid disagreements between the university administration and protesting students over the steps required to restore the students’ union.

According to the SFI, four students have been on an indefinite hunger strike, while a PhD scholar, Sanam, has been staging an indefinite sit-in at the Gulistan-e-Ghalib lawns.

The university said a seven-member committee of professors had held four rounds of talks with the students and issued an appeal asking them to call off the agitation.

The administration also notified a JMISU Constitution Draft Committee on October 21.

A separate notification issued on the same day stated that disciplinary action taken or initiated against students protesting over issues arising from October 12 would be reviewed.

However, the SFI said these measures were inadequate. The students have demanded representation in the constitution-drafting committee, the announcement of election dates within the ongoing semester and the revocation of all disciplinary action against protesters.

The university, meanwhile, has maintained that the protest site at the Gulistan-e-Ghalib lawns near the Ghalib statue was not the designated location for demonstrations. It identified Gate No. 18 as the approved protest site.

About the Author

Vani Mehrotra

Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has more than 10 years of experience in national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.

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