A video clip showing several policemen in riot gear attacking students of Jamia Millia Islamia university on the day that violence broke out on campus over the Citizenship Amendment Act has emerged.
The 45-second video, released on social media by the Jamia Coordination Committee on Saturday, shows students sitting inside the university's M.A./M.Phil section of the reading hall for a few seconds before cops wearing riot gear and carrying batons charge in and start beating them up. Unarmed students are seen either running away or being thrashed by the police in the clip.
However, many have questioned why students ran in to the reading room and had their faces covered when the police entered the library. They said that the video is an edited version, and that the full version showed students running in and sitting at desks with their books while covering their faces.
“Exclusive CCTV Footage of Police Brutality in Old Reading Hall, First floor-M.A/M.Phill Section on 15/12/2019. Shame on you @DelhiPolice,” read the tweet by the Jamia Coordination Committee along with the clip.
Exclusive CCTV Footage of Police Brutality in Old Reading Hall, First floor-M.A/M.Phill Section on
— Jamia Coordination Committee (@Jamia_JCC) February 15, 2020
15/12/2019
Shame on you @DelhiPolice @ndtvindia @ttindia @tehseenp @RanaAyyub @Mdzeeshanayyub @ReallySwara @ANI @CNN @ReutersIndia @AltNews @BBCHindi @the_hindu @TheQuint @BDUTT pic.twitter.com/q2Z9Xq7lxv
After allegations of police brutality on campus, Delhi Police had responded that they acted only to “control the situation”. However, the video paints a different picture.
Jamia Millia Islamia has witnessed violence on campus since December 15 after student protesters clashed with Delhi Police over the amended citizenship laws. Delhi Police were criticised for their extreme use of force during the protests and the detention of students after barging inside the university.
Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor retweeted the video posted by the Jamia Coordination Committee and said that lawless policemen should be punished.
“CCTV footage has emerged showing police assaulting Jamia students without provocation. Horrifying. Exemplary punishment must be levied on these lawless policemen,” Tharoor tweeted.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi also shared the clip and said that if action is not taken against the police, the “intention of the government will be completely exposed”.
Student protests gained traction across the country after students in Jamia Milia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University took part in anti-CAA protests and voiced their concerns over a police state. Jawaharlal Nehru University students were also attacked allegedly by ABVP goons in January, but the police are yet to make any arrest in the case.
