Jamia Millia Islamia VC says all Indians have ‘Mahadev’s DNA’; BJP backs him, says he used a ‘civilisational metaphor’

The VC then goes on to purportedly say: “Looking at everyone seated here, I do not believe that everyone shares the same mother tongue, upbringing or culture. Geographically speaking, and I am stating this in a geographical context, they may not even hail from the same region. Their religions, too, may differ. Yet, despite all this, we remain Indians. We are Indians because the DNA of Mahadev resides within our own DNA.”

Malviya said the remarks were rooted in a long intellectual tradition emphasising the shared civilisational identity of Indians. “Those rushing to label such expressions as ‘unscientific’ are applying the wrong lens. Civilisations are not built on scientific vocabulary alone; they are sustained by symbols, metaphors, and shared narratives that foster belonging,” he said.

“Instead of manufacturing controversy, it would be wiser to understand the spirit in which the statement was made — a reminder that, despite differences, India’s roots remain deeply interconnected,” Malviya said.

The All India Students’ Association (AISA), which is affiliated with the CPI(ML), has strongly criticised the VC’s statements and linked them to broader concerns about institutional autonomy.

“AISA strongly condemns and denounces the remarks made by Jamia Millia Islamia VC in the ‘Yuva Kumbh’ organised by RSS,” AISA said in a statement. The organisation objected to the reference to “Mahadev’s DNA” as “unscientific”, “undemocratic” and in line with the “Fascist project”.

“As unscientific as the…remark is for the VC of an educational institution, it is also fundamentally undemocratic to subject the Indian identity to such narrow, communal definitions,” AISA said. Such views, it said, were “in line with the Fascist project which the VC has referred to as ‘sanatanism’ later”.

The “institutional hijacking” of universities “and giving space to Fascist, undemocratic forces within them shall not be tolerated”, AISA said.

There were protests at the university on Tuesday (April 28) by students opposing the RSS-linked program on campus. Heavy security, including personnel from the Delhi Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), was deployed at the gates of Jamia.

Several students, many affiliated with the CPI(M)-affiliated Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and AISA, gathered outside the auditorium of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, where the ‘Yuva Kumbh’ event was scheduled to be held. The protesters raised slogans and blocked access to the venue, delaying the program. The university administration denied reports of injuries during the protest.

Prof Mazhar Asif was appointed VC of JMI by President Droupadi Murmu in October 2024. Prof Asif was a professor at the Centre of Persian and Central Asian Studies at the School of Language, Literature and Culture Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) at the time of his appointment. He succeeded Prof Najma Akhtar, whose tenure ended in November 2023.