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Tension gripped the Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) campus on Wednesday following widespread vandalism, stone-pelting, and destruction of university infrastructure by protesting students and locals late Tuesday night, an official statement said.
The unrest comes amid ongoing student agitation over various demands, even as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is expected to visit the university campus later today. According to the statement issued by the university administration on Wednesday, the proctorial team and faculty members rushed to the campus late Tuesday night following reports of a breach of boundary walls. Upon arrival, officials discovered that protesting groups, allegedly joined by locals, had dismantled university gates, brought down Gate No. 4C, and pelted stones at the premises. "Groups of protesting students along with locals vandalised university gates and walls, brought down Gate No. 4C, pelted stones, damaged the CCTV control room, cameras, and disrupted their connections," the university said in its statement. The administration added that a group of masked protesters also reached the Boys' Hostels in an attempt to mobilise additional support, while videos of the damage were widely circulated on social media. The university strongly condemned the escalation, pointing out the contradiction between the ongoing dialogue and the sudden violence. "Particularly disturbing is the stark contradiction between the protesting students engagement in negotiations with committee members and JMI teachers, yesterday evening being the 7th such attempt by the university administration to hold dialogue, and the acts of vandalism that began on campus shortly thereafter," the varsity noted, adding that women faculty members, wardens, and provosts were threatened when attempting to reason with female protesters. Officials reported that heavy iron rods, hammers, and other tools were used to damage key infrastructure, compromising campus security. Due to escalating tensions over the past week, the university had already notified the suspension of physical classes and transitioned to online mode on October 24. Police and campus security personnel have been deployed to prevent any further flare-up ahead of high-profile political visits. (ANI)
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