Delhi Assembly election: Jamia students to shift anti-CAA protest venue to another gate for two days

New Delhi: Jamia Millia Islamia students, who have been staging protest outside the varsity against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, on Thursday said they would shift the protest venue to another gate for two days in view of the Delhi Assembly election.

"Respecting the Model Code of Conduct that prohibits canvassing by political parties within 100 meters of a polling station, we have decided to move our protest to gate number 4 of the university, even though we are not a political party," the Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC) said. "It is only for the February 7 and 8 and the protest shall continue at gate no 7 after that," it added.

The Jamia Millia Islamia appealed to its students on Thursday to not be a part of an "agitating crowd" protesting against the CAA outside its campus, days after the Delhi Police urged the university administration to remove protesters from the road near one of its gates.

Jamia Nagar station house officer (SHO) wrote a letter to the university registrar, stating that some students, former students and locals were sitting on the Okhla Road outside gate number 7 and protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Following the request, the varsity appealed to its students to not be a part of an agitating crowd on a public road and endanger their safety and security.

The university stated that the request of the local police needs to be taken "seriously and its gravity must be understood". "The university is responsible for the safety and security of its students within the domain of the campus and can protect the students and staff when they, as a group, are independent of the crowd which is not a bonafide part of the university," it said.

"The parents are also being approached and their support in personal capacity is also solicited to guide their wards in adhering to basic precautions to be confined within the premises of the university campus. The proctorial paraphernalia available to the university is limited, hence a collective effort is the need of the hour," it added.

The varsity had on Saturday prohibited students from holding any protest meeting or agitation inside the university campus, warning them of strict action. The varsity administration also directed students to report to it any unauthorised entry of outsiders in campus to avoid "disruption of peace".