A staffer by the name of Mazharul Qamar was suspended by the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) on Sunday, for felicitating a Hindu Jagran Manch leader, Indian Express has reported.

The report claimed that Qamar – a weightlifting instructor part of the university’s games committee, felicitated the leader named Amit Goswami, in an event held at Aligarh’s D S College on Friday. The felicitation included Qamar handing over a bouquet to Goswami, while the duo shared a stage.

It has been reported that Goswami is currently out on bail after being booked in connection with the violence at AMU, over a Jinnah portrait hanging inside the campus, which till date has not been removed. A Times of India report the attack in which Goswami is accused, took place on 2 May.

Following the felicitation, the university issued a show cause notice to Qamar. The notice admonished Qamar by commenting that he met the Hindu Jagran Manch leader despite knowing that he (Goswami) was part of the group which hurled “slurs” against the university and its staff, students.

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The notice further claimed that this act by Qamar had “hurt the sentiments of the AMU fraternity, particularly students, who are on a dharna to demand a probe into the matter”.

After receiving the notice, Qamar sent a response claiming that he was unaware of Goswami being present at the function. The university though found the answer unsatisfactory, which result in his suspension.

As per AMU’s public relations in-charge, the university won’t be tolerating such acts. The next course of action would be conducting an inquiry, where Qamar would be given a chance to explain himself, following which further action would be taken in the matter.

This controversy comes in the light of former Vice President Hamid Ansari praising the university students who protested for Jinnah’s portrait, and a Muslim personal law board member outright supporting the portrait inside the campus.