Jamia Millia Islamia reports campus vandalism amid protests; Rahul Gandhi likely to visit university today

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Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) in New Delhi reported widespread vandalism, stone-pelting, and damage to university infrastructure following unrest on the campus late Tuesday night (October 27).

The developments come amid ongoing student protests over various demands, with Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi expected to visit the university on Wednesday (October 28), as reported by ANI.

In a press release issued on Wednesday, the university administration said groups of protesting students, allegedly accompanied by locals, damaged university gates and boundary walls, brought down Gate No. 4C and pelted stones. The CCTV control room and cameras were also damaged, while their connections were disrupted.

According to the university, the proctorial team and teachers rushed to the campus after receiving reports of breaches along its boundary walls. They also reported that a group of masked protesters reached the boys’ hostels in an attempt to mobilise additional support. Videos showing damage to university property, reportedly shared by protesting students, have circulated widely on social media.

The administration expressed concern over the timing of the violence, which began shortly after another round of discussions between protesting students, committee members and JMI teachers. It said Tuesday evening’s meeting was the seventh attempt by the university administration to resolve the issues through dialogue.

“Particularly disturbing is the stark contradiction between the protesting students’ engagement in negotiations with committee members and JMI teachers,” the university said in its statement.

JMI further alleged that women faculty members, wardens and provosts were threatened when they attempted to reason with female protesters. The administration condemned the conduct, stating that it undermined the spirit of peaceful protest and dialogue.

The university said the latest incident followed a week of repeated instances of gates and boundary walls being scaled, damaged or broken. However, the scale and intensity of the destruction on October 27 raised fresh concerns about campus security.

According to the statement, videos, CCTV footage and social media posts indicated that heavy iron rods, hammers and other tools were used to damage university infrastructure.

The administration warned that the destruction could compromise the safety of students, faculty members and non-teaching staff. It also highlighted the importance of protecting classrooms, laboratories, libraries, entrances, exits and security systems, noting that damage to these facilities could result in substantial financial losses.

JMI had shifted to online classes after issuing a notification on October 24, amid escalating tensions over the preceding week. Police and campus security personnel were deployed to prevent further disturbances ahead of anticipated high-profile political visits.

The university said teaching and non-teaching staff had expressed dismay over the damage and reiterated concerns about the security and well-being of the campus community as student agitation continued on Wednesday.