BJP backs Jamia Millia VC over 'Mahadev DNA' remark as student protests erupt on camp
BJP backs Jamia Millia VC over 'Mahadev DNA' remark as student protests erupt on campus
M.U.H
30/04/202619
NEW DELHI: Support poured in from leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for Jamia Millia Islamia Vice-Chancellor Mazhar Asif, even as student organisations intensified protests against his remarks, "Hum Bhartiye hain kyunki hamare DNA mein Mahadev hain" (We are Indians because we have Mahadev in our DNA), with demonstrators reportedly burning his photos depicting him in an RSS uniform just outside the university campus.
The controversy erupted after Asif, during a ‘Yuva Kumbh’ event linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh at Jamia Millia Islamia, stated that “all Indians share Mahadev’s DNA.” The remark quickly went viral, triggering sharp reactions and polarizing opinion both on and off campus.
Student groups, led by the Students' Federation of India (SFI), NSUI, AISA and other left organisations strongly condemned the statement, calling it “unscientific” and “regressive.” Protesters alleged that peaceful demonstrations against the event were met with force by the university administration.
According to SFI, students were “dragged, beaten, and assaulted” by the proctorial team, further intensifying anger on campus. One of the students was even hospitalised after being punched by a security guard on the campus.
The SFI in its statement said, “Jamia VC’s remarks yet again lay bare this very highjacking of Universities by the RSS and weaponisation of the VC position as a mouthpiece of the fascist politics of the Sangh. This shall be resisted and defeated by the students of Jamia.”
Meanwhile, the visuals from outside the campus showed students raising slogans, holding placards, and burning posters targeting the Vice-Chancellor. The protests reflected not only opposition to the remark but also resentment over the hosting of an RSS-linked programme in the university, which many students argued contradicts Jamia’s historical legacy of composite nationalism.
Meanwhile, BJP leaders defended Asif’s statement, framing it as a symbolic expression rather than a literal claim. BJP leader Amit Malviya argued that critics were misinterpreting the remark.
In a post on X, he said, “The outrage over Mazhar Asif’s “Mahadev’s DNA” remark reflects shrinking tolerance for civilisational metaphors. Such expressions are not scientific claims but symbols of shared ancestry and cultural continuity. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Wahiduddin Khan emphasised that Indian Muslims share the same roots as others, while Muhammad Iqbal invoked Ram as “Imam-e-Hind.” The remark echoes this inclusive tradition. Reducing it to literalism risks eroding unity, as civilisations are sustained by narratives that bind people beyond narrow interpretations.”
The University administration, however, said that there is no official statement or clarification on the rationale behind VC’s remarks.
