On Tuesday, October 22 an altercation occurred at Jamia Millia Islamia University during Diwali celebrations, after a group of Muslim students kicked diyas and Ragoli prepared by other students at the campus. A video of the incident, which is now going viral on social media, shows a large crowd assembled on campus and chanting ‘Allahu Akbar’ and ‘Palestine Zindabad’ slogans.
The incident happened during the pre-Diwali celebrations- Jyotirmaya 2024 inside Gate No. 7 of the university in Delhi.
जामिया मिलिया इस्लामिया में दीपावली कार्यक्रम के दौरान इस्लामी कट्टरपंथियों ने मचाया उत्पाद
— Campus Chronicle (@DelhiCampusSaga) October 22, 2024
युवा जामिया द्वारा आयोजित कार्यक्रम में इस्लामी कट्टरपंथियों ने हिंसा करने की कोशिश की और ‘अल्लाह हू अकबर’ और ‘फिलिस्तीन जिंदाबाद’ के नारे लगाए।#JamiaMilliaIslamia pic.twitter.com/priHIjv7s8
The ruckus happened when two groups of students clashed during a Rangoli event that was held at the event.
Reports suggest that some Muslim students on the campus used their feet to erase a Rangoli that the other group of students had prepared for the occasion, which provoked a strong reaction from the other group, resulting in chaos on campus. The group also kicked off diyas with their feet.
Following the altercation, police were deployed outside the campus to maintain order. The situation has since been brought under control.
Though an official statement from the university is still awaited, The Indian Express quoted Deputy Commissioner of Police Southeast Ravi Kumar as saying, “The incident occurred around 7:30-8 pm near gate 7. A group of students affiliated with the ABVP were putting up diyas and making rangolis for Diwali, which displeased another group of students. The other group wrecked the decorations, which led to a scuffle. Both sides engaged in sloganeering.”
Notably, each year, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student union associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), along with university students, organizes the Diwali festivities. The video of the incident depicted a significant gathering, creating substantial disorder, with numerous men and women carrying backpacks seen walking through the campus as slogans in support of Palestine resonated in the background.
