Jamia hostel protest escalates over food mess; the university denies the allegations of assault

The protest, which entered its third day on Saturday, began after some students complained about poor quality food served in the canteen. File | Photo credit: PTI

The All India Students’ Association (AISA) on Saturday (September 12, 2026) accused an assistant proctor of assaulting students during the ongoing protest against the poor quality of food at the Jamia Millia Islamia Girls’ Hostel in Jammu and Kashmir. The university denied the allegation and instead said the students had manipulated security personnel. Authorities also said that most of the students’ demands have already been accepted.

The protest broke out on Thursday (September 10, 2026) after students complained about the poor quality of the food served in the canteen, claiming insects and foreign objects were regularly found in their meals. The students are demanding immediate change of the mess hawker, recruitment of female staff and a written assurance from the administration that no disciplinary action will be taken against the agitators.

In a statement issued on Saturday (September 12, 2026), AISA accused the university management of using force against the protesting students. The student body alleged that Assistant Proctor Maqsood Ahmad Malik manhandled and assaulted a student near the office of the Dean of Student Welfare at around 1 am on Friday (September 11, 2026) after the electricity was switched off. It also claimed that several students sustained minor injuries during the commotion.

The students, AISA said, continued their sit-in overnight near Centenary Gate despite the power outage. It also claimed that Gate No. 13 was closed and barricaded with three layers, which it described as an attempt to isolate the protesters.

University officials denied the allegations, saying most of the demands were received on the first day and blaming the students for escalating the situation.

A spokeswoman for Jamia Millia Islamia said: “Students broke two gates of the girls’ hostel, compromised everyone’s safety and manhandled members of the proctorian team.” The university also added that the protesters did not demonstrate at the designated protest site near Gate No. 18.

The university also clarified that lights in parts of the campus are routinely turned off to save energy, and that the move was unrelated to the protest.

(With PTI inputs)

Published – 12 Sep 2026 15:16 IST