Amid an ongoing protest by students of Jamia Millia Islamia’s Jammu and Kashmir Girls’ Hostel, the All India Students’ Association (AISA) on Saturday accused an assistant proctor of assaulting students, a charge denied by the university.
University officials, however, alleged that some students broke two hostel gates and manhandled members of the proctorial team late on Friday night.
The protest, which entered its third day on Saturday, began after students complained about the poor quality of food being served in the hostel mess. They alleged that insects and other foreign objects had been found in the food.
The students are demanding the cancellation of the existing hostel mess vendor’s contract, the appointment of female staff in the mess and action against hostel authorities. They are also seeking an assurance that protesting students will not face disciplinary action.
AISA alleged that the university had failed to implement assurances given to the students regarding their demands.
The students’ body also alleged that Assistant Proctor Maqsood Ahmad Malik manhandled and assaulted students near the Dean of Students’ Welfare office at around 1 am on Friday after they resisted his attempts to intimidate them.
AISA alleged that the university had failed to implement assurances given to the students regarding their demands.
The students’ body also alleged that Assistant Proctor Maqsood Ahmad Malik manhandled and assaulted students near the Dean of Students’ Welfare office at around 1 am on Friday after they resisted his attempts to intimidate them.
AISA further alleged that a student’s mobile phone was snatched while she was recording the incident.
According to the students’ body, electricity was switched off in the area near the Centenary Gate where the students were protesting, while barricades were put up to isolate them.
The university, however, said most of the students’ demands had been accepted on the first day of the protest and accused them of escalating the situation.
“Students broke two gates of the girls’ hostel, putting everyone’s security at risk, and manhandled members of the proctorial team,” a Jamia Millia Islamia spokesperson said.
The university also said the protesters were not demonstrating at the designated protest site near Gate No. 18.
It further said that lights in certain parts of the campus are routinely switched off as part of energy conservation measures and that the action was not linked to the protest.
University officials also questioned the timing of the protest, alleging that attempts were being made to create a “media spectacle” while the BRICS Summit was under way in the national capital.
The two-day BRICS Summit began in New Delhi on Saturday.
Earlier, reports said Jamia Millia Islamia had agreed to change the mess contractor at the Jammu and Kashmir Girls’ Hostel following an initial protest.
The students later resumed their demonstration, claiming that the university had not fulfilled its assurances.
(With inputs from PTI)
