Delhi's Jamia Milia Islamia University issues orders prohibiting protests, dharnas without prior approval

PTC News Desk: Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) university has issued orders prohibiting protests, dharnas, sloganeering against  constitutional authorities without prior approval on the campus. The university administration has cautioned students against disciplinary action if found flouting the orders. 

“Protests, dharnas, or slogan-raising against constitutional authorities, without prior permission, are strictly prohibited on university premises. Disciplinary action will be taken against students violating this directive," the order issued by the Registrar’s Office read.

The orders followed constant complaints of unauthorised protests targeting PM Modi and law enforcement agencies. 

In an office memorandum issued by Registrar Md. Mahatah Alam Rizvi, the university noted, "Some students are involved in raising slogans without the permission or intimation to the University authorities against the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India and other law enforcement agencies of the country, which are not related to the academia as well as to the University."

Soon after the orders were issued, the memorandum faced a sharp criticism by student bodies while calling the directive a reflection of “the Sangh Parivar’s authoritarian grip" on academic institutions.

The Left backed All India Students' Association (AISA) said,  “This directive is not merely an attack on students. It is an attack on the very essence of a university. with disorder, the administration exposes its complicity in the BJP’s larger project of stifling democratic voices across the country. Jamia belongs to its students, not to the BJP or the Sangh."

The memorandum has been circulated across faculties and departments, with instructions to deans, heads, and directors to ensure that students are made aware about it.