The Delhi Police, meanwhile, refused to share the reason behind the detentions and said they have ramped up security in the area in view of the Republic Day. (Express/Chitral Khambati)The Delhi Police detained at least a dozen students from outside the Jamia Millia Islamia university after the Students Federation of India (SFI) said they would screen the BBC documentary titled India: The Modi Question. Some of those detained were raising slogans outside the campus when the police picked them up.
This comes a day after high drama ensued at Jawaharlal Nehru University over the same documentary. On Wednesday, the Delhi Police beefed up security at Jamia university, with the deployment of local staff and paramilitary personnel. Police had also called for anti-riot gear and stood guard at almost all gates.
Many students, who said they were not planning to watch the film anyway, complained they were not allowed to enter the college after noon. Sadia, a BA student, claimed, “They didn’t allow us to enter college. Many of us wanted to take admit cards for exams but were asked to leave. Four students were picked up around noon when they raised slogans against police.”
DCP (Southeast) Esha Pandey said, “A screening… was to be organised by a group of Jamia students,… which was not allowed by university administration. The administration informed police that some students were creating a ruckus on streets, and a total of 13 students were detained around 4 pm to ensure peace in the area.”
Nishant, another student of Jamia, said, “How does it matter if a group of students wishes to see the documentary? The government and police have created so much hype for no reason. The SFI had planned the documentary but the college didn’t allow it and locked the lawn area. Now, police are here…. It’s all unnecessary.”
In a statement, the university stated that no gathering of students or screening of the film will be allowed on the campus. Disciplinary action will be taken against those who don’t follow the directions, said officials.
“We do not want any disturbance on the campus. We desire to keep the peace and harmony in the university where students are studying and giving exams,” Jamia Millia Islamia Vice Chancellor Najma Akhtar told PTI
SFI had planned to screen the documentary on campus around 6 pm Wednesday but police blocked entry of protesters and students. The SFI claimed four of its members were among those detained. “They have been taken to different police stations. We are not doing anything wrong. The documentary has not been officially banned,” said the SFI Delhi state committee.
The university’s Chief Proctor Dr Atiqur Rahman said, “The campus is peaceful. We have given out a statement earlier… we have told students this is against the country… We haven’t allowed such screening and never will. There has been no violence. We have heard about a few people getting detained but we are yet to confirm if they are Jamia students or not…”
India took over presidency last December. Archive
Shankar Mishra, accused of urinating on an elderly woman co-passenger on board an Air India flight, moved a Delhi court seeking bail on Wednesday
A group of at least 25 people, including members of Bajrang Dal Haryana, allegedly barged into a theatre at a mall in Faridabad and disrupted the screening of Shah Rukh Khan starrer ‘Pathaan’ on Wednesday afternoon, said police. The protesters, some of whom were carrying sticks, vandalised movie posters and smashed several glass panes.
According to the police, the incident was reported around 3.30 pm after members of Bajrang Dal Haryana unit gathered in Faridabad sector’s 35 and marched to Crown Interiorz mall, where the film was being screened on the third floor. Read more
The Delhi Police detained at least a dozen students from outside the Jamia Millia Islamia university after the Students Federation of India (SFI) said they would screen the BBC documentary titled India: The Modi Question. Some of those detained were raising slogans outside the campus when the police picked them up.
This comes a day after high drama ensued at Jawaharlal Nehru University over the same documentary. On Tuesday night, the power went off in JNU at 8.30 pm, half an hour before the proposed screening. Later, students who tried watching the film on their phones and laptops alleged they were pelted with stones. Read more
The victim in the 2017 Unnao rape case moved the Delhi High Court on Wednesday seeking the recall of the order granting interim bail to former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, convicted and sentenced to life by a trial court for raping the woman when she was a minor, for his daughter’s wedding.
A division bench of Justices Mukta Gupta and Anup Kumar Mendiratta issued notices to the CBI and Sengar seeking their responses and listed the matter for Friday. Malavika Prasad reports
A group of 30 people including those affiliated with Bajrang Dal in Haryana barged into a theatre at the Crowne Interiorz Mall in Faridabad on Wednesday to disrupt the screening of Shah Rukh Khan's recent movie 'Pathaan'. The group allegedly carried sticks, vandalised posters of the film, and asked people to leave the theatre. The Faridabad police have initiated a probe into the incident.
At least seven students of Jamia Millia Islamia were detained on Wednesday after student groups led by SFI announced a plan to screen the controversial BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the college campus in the evening. (Express/Chitral Khambati)
The Jamia Millia Islamia university administration on Wednesday issued a statement, reiterating its decision to not give permission to students for the screening of the BBC documentary on PM Modi. "It has come to the knowledge of the university administration that some students belonging to a political organisation (SFI) have circulated a poster about screening of a controversial documentary film on the university campus today," it said.
The university administration had earlier issued a memorandum/circular and once again reiterated that no meeting/gathering of students or screening of any film "shall be allowed in the campus without the permission of the competent authority, failing which strict disciplinary action shall be taken against the organisers".
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After the Delhi Police on Wednesday detained four students at Jamia Millia Islamia, after student groups announced to screen the BBC documentary on PM Modi, the Students' Federation of India (SFI) issued a statement and said, "In an atrocious manner, Azeez, a student of Jamia Milia Islamia and SFI Jamia Unit Secretary; Nivedya, a Jamia Student and SFI South Delhi Area Vice President; Abhiram and Tejas, both Jamia students and SFI Unit members have been detained by the Delhi Police prior to the screening of the documentary", news agency PTI reported.
The SFI attempt to screen the documentary at the Jamia campus comes a day after a similar event was organised at the Jawaharlal Nehru University during which students claimed that power and internet were suspended and stones were thrown at them.
The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) unit of Jamia Millia Islamia on Wednesday claimed that a few of its members have been detained by police ahead of the screening of the BBC documentary on PM Narendra Modi. The university administration, however, said no permission has been sought for the screening of the documentary and “we will not allow” it, news agency PTI reported.
Hours after members of the JNU Students’ Union alleged that the administration had cut off power in campus to stop them from screening the first episode of the two-part BBC documentary ‘India: The Modi Question’, which was pulled down by YouTube and Twitter on orders from the Centre, university officials said that faults in electricity lines were not unusual. On Tuesday, at 8.30 pm, several students had gathered outside the Students’ Union office for a screening of the documentary. The campus, however, soon plunged into darkness.
“Faults in the electricity lines happen sometimes. This is not unusual. We are looking into the rumours of violence on campus and the JNU administration will issue a statement,” said JNU PRO Ajit Kumar. Read more
Student groups in Jamia Millia Islamia are planning to screen the BBC documentary, "India: The Modi Question", on their campus Wednesday evening.
Meanwhile, the SFI unit at the university has alleged that a few of its members have been detained by police before the screening. A protest will held at the university gate at 4 PM today.
The Delhi High Court has stayed trial court proceedings against BJP MP Parvesh Singh Sahib in a 2019 criminal defamation case lodged by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.
The HC noted that similar orders were passed in pleas moved by Delhi BJP spokesperson Harish Khurana, as well as other leaders like Hans Raj Hans and Manjinder Singh Sirsa wherein the proceedings were stayed till the next date of hearing.
Issuing notice to Sisodia on Sahib’s plea challenging the trial court summoning order, Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma stayed trial court proceedings against Sahib till the next date of hearing, March 10.
Delhi Chief Arvind Kejriwal said Wednesday that India’s “trade with China was increasing despite their aggression.” “We are making them richer,” he added while speaking during the Delhi government’s Republic Day function, news agency PTI reported.
“VCs appointed by elected governments in many states are removed by governors. Elected governments are now being harassed. They are fighting with the judiciary, state governments, farmers and traders. No one can stop India from becoming No 1 if this fight ends,” he added. (PTI)
The Delhi police have filed a revision petition before the Delhi High Court in the evidence tampering case pertaining to the 1997 Uphaar cinema fire case.
A magisterial court in 2021 convicted the Ansal brothers Sushil and Gopal and other accused under Sections 201 (tampering of evidence), 120B (criminal conspiracy), and 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code and awarded seven-year jail terms to them, besides imposing a fine of Rs 2.25 crore on each.
The Sessions Court on July 19, 2022, upheld the conviction order of the Ansal brothers and two others. The court, however, reduced the duration to the period they had already been jailed since November 8, 2021. Police have sought revision of this sentence reduction before HC. A single-judge bench of Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani will be hearing the matter shortly.
The Delhi HC has issued notice to Sushil Ansal, Gopal Ansal and other accused in a revision plea filed by Delhi police seeking “enhancement” of the sentence in the evidence tampering case connected to the Uphaar cinema fire.
The court was informed that similar revision pleas have been filed by the Ansal brothers against the conviction order of the trial court and by the Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy against the modification of the sentence given by the principal district and sessions judge in July last year wherein the accused were released on the period served in jail already amounting to about 8 months.
The state’s revision plea is now listed on April 13.
The Delhi Police said they have made elaborate security and traffic arrangements for the Republic Day parade and functions at Red Fort, Vijay Chowk, India Gate, and other VIP areas. According to senior police officers, more than 60,000 people are expected to attend the parade which will start from Vijay Chowk at 10.30 am and will proceed towards the Red Fort ground area. At India Gate, the celebrations will start at 9.30 am.
Pranav Tayal, DCP (New Delhi), said, “We will also allow QR-based entry for the Republic Day parade. The code will be on all the invitations. More than 7,000 police personnel and paramilitary forces will be on the ground. We have also set up 24 help desks at rush points for easy entry of visitors.” Read more
Incense sticks triggered a fire in a residential apartment inside a group housing society here Wednesday morning, officials said.
No one was injured in the fire that was reported around 9.30 am from the ground-floor house in Lavanya Apartments in Sector 62, Chief Fire Officer Pradeep Kumar Chaubey said.
"Two units of fire service were immediately rushed to the spot and the fire was soon brought to control. The house was closed from outside at the time of the incident," Chaubey said.
"It was found that the fire was triggered by a 'dhoop batti' which was lit for prayer inside the house earlier in the morning," the CFO said. Loss to property was being assessed, the officer added. (PTI)
Delhi witnessed overcast skies and logged a minimum temperature of 10.6 degrees Celsius, five notches above normal, on Wednesday, the India Meteorological Department said. The maximum temperature is likely to settle around 22 degrees Celsius. Overcast conditions are expected on Republic Day also.
The Safdarjung Observatory, Delhi's primary weather station, had logged a minimum temperature of 12.3 degrees Celsius, the highest this month so far, on Tuesday. The maximum temperature had settled at 21.6 degrees Celsius.
The city had recorded a maximum temperature of 25.9 degrees Celsius on Monday -- the highest in the month in four years -- according to the weather department. Clouds trap heat that gets through during the day, keeping night-time temperatures above normal. However, cloudy weather reduces daytime temperatures by preventing exposure to the sun.
Delhi is likely to see cloudy skies for the next four to five days. A fresh western disturbance may lead to light rainfall on January 29. Delhi has not recorded any rainfall this winter season so far. The Met department attributed it to the lack of strong western disturbances in November and December. Last year, the city had recorded 82.2 mm rainfall in January, the highest in the month since 1901. (PTI)