New Delhi: Jamia Millia Islamia has banned the entry of its three former students, including, the 2020 riots accused who gained recognition during the 2019-2020 CAA protests, Safoora Zargar on its campus for "agitating" in the university over an "irrelevant and objectionable" issue. Signed by the chief proctor, the orders dated September 14 said the competent authority has approved a campus ban on ex-students for not maintaining a peaceful academic environment.
An activist and academic, Zargar gained fame for her reported participation in the anti-CAA demonstrations following the Parliament's passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act in December 2019. The orders have been made against two other former Jamia Millia Islamia students in addition to Zargar, it claimed.
While the language in the orders against the two former students is similar, the notification against Zargar mentions her involvement in organising agitations, protests and marches on the campus "against the irrelevant and objectionable issues to disturb the peaceful academic environment".
"She is instigating innocent students of the University and trying to use the University platform for her malafide political agenda along with some other students," the order read.
Furthermore, it claimed that Safoora was interfering with the institution's regular operations. The decision was made a few days after the institution denied scholar Zargar admittance due to "unsatisfactory" progress on her thesis. Zargar declined to offer any commentary on the campus ban. She has been organising rallies against the suspension of her entrance alongside a number of other students.
"Safoora Zargar is an ex-student of MPhil, Dept. of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences. She is one of the accused of conspiracy with other persons to instigate and start riots in northeast Delhi on 23.02.2020. She was booked under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), 1967 by Delhi Police..." the order stated. "Her name was removed from MPhil because of non-submission of M. Phil dissertation within the given period despite giving several chances and she is not a student of Jamia Millia Islamia," it continued.
In the notifications filed against two former students, it was claimed that they had led many unapproved student meetings on campus, including one that occurred on August 30 in the University's Central Canteen. Despite not being JMI students, they have been discovered organising agitations, rallies, and marches on campus, the university continued.
