On Friday, March 21, Delhi Police arrested Jamia Millia Islamia student Hazrat Parwana in connection with a scuffle that broke out during Diwali in October 2024, allegedly caused by ABVP-YUVA Jamia, a Hindu right-wing group.
Hazrat Parwana, a third-year undergraduate student of Sanskrit and a leader of AIMIM student wing, was arrested from Gate No. 18 of the university.
The Diwali event, during which the issue arose, was organized by the Rashtriya Kala Manch (RKM), a wing of the RSS-backed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), at the university.
ABVP invited outsiders through Gate No. 7, endangering student safety, leading to a scuffle as they created chaos on campus, disrupted campus harmony, and provoked Jamia students.
The students alleged that no action was taken against those responsible for the disturbance.
An FIR has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, with Section 299 (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings) and Section 3(5) (joint criminal liability for individuals acting with a common intention).
According to the complaint filed by Rahul Tiwari of the Jamia Millia Alumni Association of Minorities (JMI AAM) on October 25, persons including Hazrat “disrupted the prayers, vandalized the rangoli designs, and destroyed the lit diyas, showing utter disregard for the sanctity of the occasion and the cultural sentiments of those involved” during the Diwali celebrations at the university.
The FIR has been registered against 32 people, including Muslim students, the proctor, and several others.
The complaint alleged Parwana as the “main conspirator.”
They further alleged that “they raised slogans like ‘Allah hu Akbar’ and ‘Palestine Zindabad,’ attacked and threatened, warning them never to celebrate any Hindu festival on campus.”
The arrest has sparked widespread outrage, with student organizations, including Fraternity Movement, MSF, SFI, NSUI, SIO, AIRSO, AISF, AISA, CRJD, Disha, DISSC, MSV, MSW, SFD and United Students of Jamia condemning the arrest.
Fraternity Movement demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Parwana, calling the arrest “unjust” and alleging that he is “incarcerated in Tihar jail over the Diwali ruckus created by ABVP-YUVA-RSS on the Jamia campus.”
“Democracy in India is a myth when dissent means jail and Muslim identity means persecution,” they said, urging authorities to “Stop the selective attack on Muslim students. Down with Hindutva repression.”
The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) Jamia Millia Islamia condemned the arrest, stating, “Despite this clear violation of campus security, the RSS-backed Jamia administration has taken no action against YUVA Jamia-ABVP members, who endangered student safety and disrupted campus harmony. Instead, the administration is targeting students who dared to speak out against this incident.”
“This is not an isolated case,” they said, highlighting the Jamia administration’s recent suspension of 17 students for protesting against its suppression of campus democracy.
SFI Jamia demanded the immediate release of Hazrat Parwana and an end to the crackdown on campus.
The All India Students’ Association (AISA) Jamia stated, “The perpetrators of violence from the ABVP-RSS-BJP roam free while Muslim students are selectively targeted!”
“The real perpetrators of the disturbance at Diwali were invited by the ABVP into our campus, but neither the Jamia admin nor the Delhi Police has shown any interest in the rule of law and has instead opted for the criminalization of Muslim student Hazrat Parwana,” alleged AISA.
“The recent unjust arrest of Hazrat Parwana has once again brought to light how the ABVP-admin nexus provides impunity to perpetrators of violence from the Sangh, while Muslim students are selectively punished,” they said.
Hazrat Parwana was among those detained in February when Delhi Police arrested several Jamia Millia Islamia students protesting against the administration’s show-cause notices and demanding the revocation of a repressive memorandum restricting meetings, gatherings, protests, and slogans on campus without prior approval.
