A Diwali celebration at Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi turned chaotic on Tuesday night as two groups clashed during a rangoli-making event, leading to a heavy police presence outside the campus. The incident occurred during an annual Diwali event organized by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as reported by news agency PTI.
The clash reportedly began when a group of students objected to the Diwali decorations, including rangolis and diyas, resulting in the two groups engaging in a scuffle. As per reports, the altercation took place near Gate No. 7 of the university around 7:30-8 PM. Witnesses claim that some individuals ruined the rangolis and kicked over the diyas, which escalated tensions between the groups.
Videos circulating on social media show people walking into the event, chanting slogans, which led to the physical confrontation. Some students alleged that slogans like “Palestine Zindabad” and “Allah-u-Akbar” were shouted by a group disrupting the Diwali celebrations, though these claims could not be independently verified by Hindustan Times.
VIDEO | Reports of scuffle and police deployment outside Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia campus after disruption of a Diwali celebration event earlier today.
(Source: Third party)
(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/dsblVy8bH3
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 22, 2024
FIR Registered and Police Deployed
The Delhi Police were quickly deployed to the scene to control the situation. Deputy Commissioner of Police Southeast, Ravi Kumar, confirmed that both groups were involved in sloganeering before the altercation escalated into violence.
An FIR was registered at Jamia Nagar Police Station, citing charges of rioting and attempt to commit culpable homicide. Three students, identified as Adil Khan, Zafar, and Saqib, sustained injuries during the scuffle and were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. Police reports indicate that the Diwali event, titled ‘Jyotirmaya 2024′, had received prior permission from the university but escalated into a conflict when a group of students from the Muslim community expressed their discontent with the celebration.
Different student bodies provided varying accounts of the incident. According to Mohammad Alfouz, national secretary of the Fraternity Movement, the clash began after 8-10 outsiders, allegedly including ABVP members, entered the campus and began chanting slogans, which provoked the students of Jamia. He claimed that the ABVP was responsible for instigating the incident by referring to Jamia students as “outsiders.”
On the other hand, the Student Federation of India (SFI) unit at Jamia condemned the violence, alleging that the ABVP had “unleashed an attack on students under the guise of Diwali celebrations.” The Congress-backed National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) echoed these sentiments, blaming the ABVP for the violent outbreak.
In response, Ashutosh Singh, national media convenor for the ABVP, denied these allegations. He stated that the ABVP had no role in the disruption, and instead pointed to “outsiders” who entered the campus and chanted slogans related to Palestine, which triggered the conflict.
University and Police Response
The administration of Jamia Millia Islamia has yet to release an official statement regarding the incident. However, sources within the university suggest that measures are being taken to ensure that outsiders do not enter the campus and heighten tensions.
The police investigation is ongoing as authorities work to gather more details about the incident. As of now, the situation remains under control, and security personnel continue to monitor the area outside the university gates.
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