On Tuesday, October 22, a group of Muslim students disrupted the Diwali celebrations at Jamia Millia Islamia University by kicking diyas and ragoli made by other students on campus. A vast throng gathered on campus is seen yelling “Allahu Akbar” and “Palestine Zindabad” in a video of the incident that is currently going viral on social media.
The event took place at Delhi University’s Gate No. 7 during the pre-Diwali festivities known as Jyotirmaya 2024.
When two student groups clashed during a Rangoli event that was held at the event, there was a commotion.
According to reports, there was chaos on campus after some Muslim students used their feet to destroy a Rangoli that another group of students had made for the event. This caused the other group to respond strongly. Additionally, the group used their feet to kick off diyas.
In order to keep the peace after the brawl, police were stationed outside the campus. Since then, things have been brought under control.
The Indian Express quoted Deputy Commissioner of Police Southeast Ravi Kumar as saying, “The incident occurred around 7:30-8 pm near gate 7,” albeit an official statement from the university has not yet been released. Another group of students was offended by a group of affiliated ABVP students who were decorating their classrooms with diyas and rangolis for Diwali. A fight broke out after the other group destroyed the decorations. Both parties used sloganeering.
Notably, the Diwali celebrations are organised annually by university students and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) student association, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). The incident’s footage showed a sizable crowd causing tremendous chaos, with many men and women wandering around the campus with bags while pro-Palestine shouts played in the background.
