Safoora Zargar, a research scholar and activist, has been barred from entering Jamia Milia Islamia's campus. The news comes just days after the varsity announced that MPhil admission had been canceled due to non-submission of the dissertation. After which the students protested fiercely on campus. During this, provocative slogans were raised by the students. 

Several provocative slogans like ‘RSS Ki Kabr Khudegi, Jamia Ki Dharti Par’ and ‘ABVP Ki Kabr Khudegi Jamia Ki Dharti Par’ were raised during these protests in Zargar’s support. 

Protests and marches organized by Zargar were cited as the reason for her expulsion from campus in an office order.

Zargar said on Twitter that Jamia Millia Islamia had canceled her M.Phil admission with effect from August 22, 2022. She added that the cancellation “breaks my heart but not my spirit”.

“It has been observed that Ms. Safoora Zargar (ex-student) has been involved in organizing agitations, protests, and marches on the campus against the irrelevant and objectionable issues to disturb the peaceful academic environment with few students who are mostly outsiders. She is instigating innocent students of the University and trying to use the University platform for her malafide political agenda along with some other students. Further, she is hampering the normal functioning of the institution. In view of the above, the Competent Authority, for maintaining a peaceful academic environment across the Campus, has approved the Campus Ban on ex-student Ms. Safoora Zargar with immediate effect.” stated the college order.

Earlier, the sociology department at Jamia Millia Islamia canceled the admission of Delhi riots accused Safoora Zargar. Zargar was in the Department of Sociology’s interdisciplinary MPhil/Ph.D. program. Jamia Millia Islamia in a statement said, “Her progress report by the supervisor was unsatisfactory. The scholar did not apply for an extension as a woman scholar before the expiry of the stipulated maximum period.”

Zargar’s admittance was canceled, according to an official notification given by the university, since “her progress report by her supervisor was inadequate” and she did not ask for an extension as a women scholar.

The notification also said that Zargar’s enrollment was revoked since she had not completed her M.Phil dissertation within the allotted time frame of six semesters. The normal time frame is five semesters, however, because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, a sixth semester was added.

When Safoora Zargar was three months pregnant, she was detained by Delhi Police in April 2020. She was detained and prosecuted under the UAPA Act for her suspected role in the anti-CAA protests. Zargar was granted bail four times by the Delhi High Court and discharged on June 24, 2022. Zargar got accepted into Jamia Millia Islamia’s combined M.Phil and Ph.D. program.

The dean’s office stated that action was taken on the Research Advisory Committee (RAC) proposal on July 5. On August 22, the Board of Studies, the department’s top decision-making body, authorized the matter.

“On the recommendation of the RAC, dated July 5, the DRC (Department Research Committee), dated August 22, and the supervisor’s report,” the notification continued, “the Board of Studies approved the cancellation of admission of Safoora Zargar, M.Phil./Ph.D Scholar, registered under Prof. Kulwinder Kaur.”

The administration said that her supervisor assessed her performance in the progress report as “unsatisfactory,” and that she did not seek an extension as a woman scholar’ before the statutory maximum duration expired.

“The scholar did not submit her M.Phil dissertation within the maximum required period of five semesters plus an additional semester of Covid extension (sixth semester), which concluded on February 6,” according to the notification.

The dean's office has maintained that the action against her was taken on a recommendation made by the Research Advisory Committee (RAC) on July 5. The matter was approved by the department's Board of Studies on August 22.

Zargar had earlier said she was being denied extensions for submission of her thesis while they were being extended for other scholars. She said she received only one Covid extension while the University Grants Commission (UGC) offered five.

Safoora Zargar was booked under UAPA following the anti-Hindu Delhi riots

There were protests in Delhi in 2020 regarding CAA-NRC. Safoora also took part in these protests. At the same time, in February there were riots in Delhi. Safoora was made an accused in the Delhi riots. After this, a case was registered against Safoora Zargar under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in April 2020. Soon he was arrested and sent to jail. In the charge sheet of the Delhi riots, the Special Cell exposed many of Safoora’s chats. The Special Cell said that Safoora was involved in a conspiracy to incite the riots.

At the same time, in June 2020, Safoora was granted bail on humanitarian grounds. Actually, Safoora was pregnant at that time, and taking care of this, she was granted bail from jail. Safoora had taken admission to the Integrated MPhil and Ph.D. program in the Sociology Department of Jamia University. Her research area was ‘Socio-spatial segregation of Muslims in urban areas’, for which he started research in 2019.