Jamia V-C Najma Akhtar hits out at Delhi police, calls violence 'barbaric'

Taking strong exception to police crackdown in the Jamia Millia Islamia University, Vice-Chancellor Najma Akhtar condemned the police crackdown as ‘barbaric’ and assured the students that they weren’t alone.

While addressing media, a day after the incident, “I am deeply hurt by the barbarity with which the police treated my students. The police entering the library and lathi charging innocent students who were studying is not acceptable to me,” she said.

Also read: SC agrees to hear Jamia violence case, demands riots stop immediately

Adding that there has been huge damage to university property regarding which the university will be filing FIR she said, “We cannot tolerate police presence on campus, they scared our students with their brutality. The university will present facts to HRD minister and file FIR on the damage of property.”

“You can rebuild the property but you cannot compensate for the things the students went through. There has been an emotional loss as well. Yesterday’s incident was unfortunate.” she stressed.

She asserted that the varsity will not tolerate police presence on campus and also demanded a high-level enquiry regarding the police violence in which around 200 students were injured.

To a question based on reports that police entered the mosque at the campus and also sexually assaulted girl students, AP Siddiqui, Registrar of Jamia Millia Islamia, said, they cannot confirm or deny all of them as “lot of rumours are being floated on social media”.

Also read: From Delhi to Chennai, protest erupt against police crackdown in Jamia

He also added, “We talked to the Police Joint Commissioner and other senior officials on it, and they have strongly denied this rumour.”

The university had turned into a battlefield on Sunday as police entered the campus and also used force, following protest against the amended Citizenship Act.

(With inputs from agencies)