Out on bail riots accused Safoora Zargar, who managed to obtain bail on ‘humanitarian grounds’ because she got pregnant while protesting against the CAA, has termed the police presence at Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi as an ‘occupation’.
Inside Zargar’s head, the Jamia Millia Islamia is probably a sovereign entity and Indian police and paramilitary forces are ‘occupying’ it. This is perhaps what happens when one raises too many ‘Azaadi’ slogans for years in vain. When activism overloads the brain, the very presence of security personnel inside a sovereign nation’s own territory, at a government-funded, government-run university starts to feel like an ‘occupation’, because the Jihadi elements can no longer riot freely.
“How many of you have gone back & looked at Jamia Millia Islamia since the anti-CAA protest. The campus is absolutely occupied. Police and paramilitary presence is constant, to intimate (she probably meant *intimidate) students creating an atmosphere of abject fear. A new police chowki has come up near gate No 1 of the university to keep constant surveillance on the students. The university is swarmed by policemen of senior rank and paramilitary forces carrying tear gas and lathis, at the drop of a hat.” Zargar tweeted.
In the next tweet, Zargar shared, “Jamia Millia Islamia, in the national capital of India, is undoubtedly the most militarized university campus in the country. It is a blatant occupation. Nothing less.”
Next, quoting one Shahid Tantray’s tweet about paramilitary personnel being deployed at Jamia Millia ahead of a protest call against the Hijab ban in Karnataka colleges, Safoora again wrote, “Militarisation of a central university in the national capital of India. Occupation.”
Militarisation of a central university in the national capital of India.
— Safoora Zargar (@SafooraZargar) March 24, 2022
OCCUPATION. https://t.co/LBJ4WZeHjS
In days leading to the horrifying anti-Hindu Delhi riots in February 2020, Zargar was seen making provocative speeches and whipping up frenzy against the central government with respect to the Citizenship Amendment Bill. After the horrific riots in the national capital, planned and timed to coincide with Donald Trump’s visit to India, Zargar was arrested on April 10, 2020. Months later, she was granted bail because while participating in anti-CAA protests, she had got pregnant.
Jamia Millia Islamia and Delhi riots
While Safoora laments about police presence in the Jamia Millia Islamia campus, she won’t admit how the university was used as a staging ground and operational base by the Islamist rioters in Delhi.
In fact, much before the February riots and the Shaheen Bagh protests, Islamists inside Jamia Millia had started vandalism and arson under the garb of anti-CAA protests.
On December 15, stone-pelting from inside the Jamia campus was caught on camera. Hundreds of students and some non-students inside the campus had attacked police personnel with stones. Eventually, the police had to enter the Jamia campus to flush out the violent elements.
Criminal actions of #JamiaMillia students caught on LIVE TV CAMERA.
— Akhilesh Mishra (@amishra77) December 15, 2019
Stone pelting and violence FROM INSIDE campus and mask wearing thugs outside campus attacking Police and Media from BOTH SIDES.
Send this to propagandists who tell you Jamia thugs are peaceful. pic.twitter.com/w3UU2stmf4
The University administration had later claimed that it was ‘outside elements’ that had entered the campus and its students had nothing to do with violence on December 15. on December 15, violent riots, arson and stone-pelting had happened in the Jamia Nagar area where several buses were torched.
In June 2020, Jamia students were found discussing plans to blow up the proctor’s office and carry out violent protests against the government for slapping UAPA on riot accused. ‘Hinduon se Azadi, Ladh ke lenge Azadi’ and Chheen ke lenge Azadi’ etc slogans were raised at Jamia on December 15, before the ‘protests’ turned violent and widespread arson and stone-pelting started. The violent protestors from Jamia had even torched several vehicles and had attacked police personnel.
Anti-Citizen Amendment Act protest turns violent in #Delhi.#ITVideo
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) December 15, 2019
More videos: https://t.co/wMGGKJy9GN pic.twitter.com/WV5vCfR4LI
Several ‘students’ and ‘student leaders’ of Jamia Millia were arrested for instigating riots and involvement in the violence of the December 15 and February riots. Asif Iqbal Tanha, one of the main accused in the Delhi riots cases, is a Jamia ‘student’. Tanha was arrested under UAPA.
As per a report by Zee News, in a statement made to the Special Cell of the Delhi Police, Delhi riots accused Asif Iqbal Tanha has revealed that he wanted to turn India into an Islamic republic. As per reports, Tanha has admitted to orchestrating a march of 2500-3000 people from Gate no.7 of Jamia Millia Islamia on December 12. He revealed that Sharjeel Imam gave a provocative speech to encourage ‘protestors’ to execute a ‘chakka jam’ on December 13.
Asif Iqbal further revealed that the infamous Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC) was constituted after the violence that ensued between the ‘protestors’ and the police under the pretext of ‘Gandhi peace march.’
Delhi police said entering Jamia was necessary
A number of ‘Left-liberals’ and Islamists have approached the court against the Delhi Police actions in the Jamia Millia. In August 2020, Additional Solicitor General Aman Lekhi made submissions on behalf of the Delhi police in front of a division bench comprising Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan. The Delhi Police had asserted that action taken by the police was necessary and proportionate to the violence unleashed by the mob during the anti-CAA protests.
The police stated further that a large mob of over 2000 people had gathered inside the Jamia campus, armed with stones, petrol bombs and had indulged in arson in the surrounding areas. The police had also stated that there are videos of Jamia rioters stealing petrol from bikes and torching vehicles. Despite numerous appeals by the police to stop violence, the Islamist mob had gathered inside the Jamia campus and had continued attacking the police. Several senior police officers were attacked during the violence.
