Jamia Millia Islamia students protest Waqf Bill, burn copies amid tight security in Delhi
New Delhi: Following the passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025 in both Houses of Parliament, students and activists at Jamia Millia Islamia staged a protest on Friday, opposing the legislation and accusing the government of targeting minority communities.
The demonstration, held near Gate 7 of the university, was led by the All India Students’ Association (AISA) along with other Left-leaning student groups. Protesters burned copies of the bill and raised slogans, denouncing the move as “unconstitutional and communal.”
AISA also criticised the Jamia administration for attempting to suppress student voices. In a statement, the group claimed that campus authorities had locked all gates and instructed guards to blow whistles continuously to disrupt the protest. "When students confronted this blatant suppression and gathered at the gate, the administration was forced to open it," the statement read.
Amid the growing tension, Delhi Police and paramilitary forces conducted flag marches in sensitive areas across the city, including Jamia Nagar and the university campus. Drones were also deployed for surveillance in various locations, while patrolling was intensified in North, North-East, South-East, Shahdara and East Delhi districts.
Despite heightened security, student groups announced that they would continue their resistance. “This fight against the communal and unconstitutional bill will go on – louder, stronger, and more united than ever,” said one of the protesting students.
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Sculptor Ram Sutar, designer of Statue of Unity, passes away
New Delhi (PTI): Noted sculptor Ram Sutar, known for designing the world's tallest statue — Statue of Unity — in Gujarat, passed away late on Wednesday night at his Noida residence, his son said.
He was 100 and ailing with age-related illnesses.
"It is with profound grief that we inform you of the passing of my father Shri Ram Vanji Sutar on 17th December midnight at our residence," his son Anil Sutar said in a note shared with the press on Thursday.
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Born in a humble family in Gondur village under the Dhule district of present-day Maharashtra on February 19, 1925, Sutar is known to have been drawn to sculpting from his childhood.
A gold medallist from JJ School of Art and Architecture, Mumbai, Sutar, has to his credit a long list of achievements.
The iconic statues of Mahatma Gandhi seated in a meditating pose and of Chhatrapati Shivaji riding a horse on the Parliament premises rank among his finest creations.
The Statue of Unity honours Sardar Patel, country's first deputy prime minister and home minister.
Sutar was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 2016.
Recently, Sutar was conferred with the Maharashtra Bhushan Puraskar, the state's highest award.
