Congress Applauds Jamia Protesters as Student Union Polls Announced

New Delhi: The Congress party has applauded the announcement of student union elections at Jamia Millia Islamia, a decision it attributed to the persistence of protesting students. The party's response came on Friday.

Speaking on the development, MP Imran Pratapgarhi said the announcement was a win for the determination and courage of the students who had been protesting. He said the administration had spared no effort to crush the agitation, and he praised the students for continuing their demonstrations, including a hunger strike, with strong support from women students.

Pratapgarhi said he had first visited the campus to stand with the students. He criticised the university administration and the registrar for filing an FIR against him, calling their conduct childish. He said he walked into the campus on foot after arriving in an auto-rickshaw wearing simple clothes, and that Gate 4 was open. He met the students, expressed his support and then returned.

He said the administration had not been able to arrest him even at that time, and that the FIR, which was registered after a delay of two or three days, was laughable. He added that the matter would be resolved through the courts and the inquiry process.

The Congress MP also claimed that the controversial slogans on the campus had not been written by students. He alleged that the administration, in league with others, had planted them in a conspiracy to malign the protest. He said that despite these attempts, the administration had to concede, and that this was possible only because of the peaceful protest by students.

He further said that Rahul Gandhi had started a satyagraha nationwide and that the effect would be felt among students. He congratulated the NSUI students who had sat on hunger strike.