CM Adityanath asks for report on campus violence

Aligarh Muslim University students sat on an indefinite dharna on Thursday protesting the “police inaction” against the vandalism carried out by members of some right-wing organisations on the university campus on Wednesday.

AMU Students’ Union president Mashkoor Ahmad Usmani told The Hindu that the students are demanding a judicial inquiry and arrest of activists of right-wing groups who allegedly barged into the university campus and thrashed students and security guards when they tried to stop them from breaking law.

Over 30 AMU students and many police personnel were injured in the violence which started with the right-wing protesters demanding removal of the portrait of Mohammad Ali Jinnah from the office of the AMU students' union and in the subsequent confrontation between the students and the police.

Reacting to the incidents of violence, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that the “act of honouring the man who was responsible for the Partition of the country will never be tolerated”. He said that he has asked for a report from the district administration. ADG, Agra Zone, Ajay Anand has reached Aligarh and held a meeting with the IG, SSP and SP City over law and order in Aligarh.

AMU has strongly condemned "the trespassing of university boundary and raising of objectionable and intimidating slogans by a group of Hindu Yuva Vahini youths”. It has asked the district administration to take strict action against the youths who disturbed the peace of the campus.

The Aligarh police, meanwhile, have registered two FIRs.

“One FIR is against over 300 unnamed AMU students and five AMUSU members,” said Javed Khan, the in-charge of Civil Lines police station.

“The second FIR has been lodged against 22 unnamed people by the AMU security authorities under various sections,” he added.