Jamia’s V-C Mazhar Asif remark, 'all Indians share Mahadev's DNA,' sparks controversy

A video clip of Mazhar Asif, vice chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, has sparked controversy on social media over a remark made during an RSS-organised Yuva Kumbh event on Tuesday, in which he said, The DNA of all Indians is linked to Lord Mahadev. In the purported video, which PTI could not independently verify, the V-C said, Looking at everyone seated here, I do not believe that everyone shares the same mother tongue, upbringing, or culture.

A video clip of Mazhar Asif, vice chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, has sparked controversy on social media over a remark made during an RSS-organised Yuva Kumbh event on Tuesday, in which he said, ''The DNA of all Indians is linked to Lord Mahadev.'' In the purported video, which PTI could not independently verify, the V-C said, ''Looking at everyone seated here, I do not believe that everyone shares the same mother tongue, upbringing, or culture. Geographically speaking, and I am stating this in a geographical context, they may not even hail from the same region. Their religions, too, may differ.'' He continues, ''Yet, despite all this, we remain Indians. We are Indians because the DNA of Mahadev resides within our own DNA.'' Following the remark, the auditorium erupts in applause in the video clip. Several attempts by PTI to contact the V-C and the university administration did not elicit any response. The statement was made during the 'Yuva Kumbh' programme, organised at Jamia to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). A day before, the event had sparked widespread student protests against the Jamia administration's decision to grant permission for the RSS event. The video, now being widely shared across various social media platforms, is also being criticised. One person commented on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), ''What a shameful day for a once-respected university...Jamia has hit rock bottom. Embarrassing and unacceptable.'' Meanwhile, the Students' Federation of India (SFI) unit of Jamia condemned the incident. In a statement, the student organisation said, ''The SFI Jamia strongly condemns vice chancellor Mazhar Asif's remark that 'we all have Mahadev's DNA', made at Jamia, an institution known for its academic and scientific excellence.'' On Monday, the SFI wrote to the university administration, demanding a withdrawal of permission for the RSS event on the campus. ''....the V-C's statement reflects a deeply unscientific and regressive mindset, undermining the constitutional duty to promote scientific temper,'' the SFI said.