AMU Protest LIVE: Thousands Sit on Dharna to Protest Against Lathicharge on Students Over Jinnah Portrait Row

AMU students will continue with their protests at the university gate on Friday noon, reports News18's Deepa Rana.

The National Commission for Minorities has sought a report from the Aligarh district administration on police action on students demanding arrest of members of a right-wing outfit which protested displaying of Muhammad Ali Jinnah's portrait on the varsity campus, PTI sources said today. The NCM has asked for a report from the local administration after former members of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) students' union made a complaint to the panel.

The protesting AMU students said on Thursday night that they will continue to agitate at the campus until justice is delivered. Talking to News18, Students Union President, Makshoor Ahmad Usmani said the union now demands a judicial probe into the matter. The students further demanded an immediate transfer of SSP Aligarh who was incompetent in providing security to the former vice president. The union have also demanded that the university and the Vice-Chancellor must also clear their stand on the issue.

Members of the AMU students’ union and a large number of students demanded an FIR be lodged against the miscreants and police officers involved in Wednesday’s violence. The students alleged that certain “right-wing goons” were planning to attack former Vice President, Hamid Ansari during his visit to Aligarh Muslim University. They further alleged that the district administration has failed to provide security to the vice president and also the students.

Protesting students of AMU addressing the media: We have ideological differences with Jinnah but he is part of history. It is only a rumour that Jinnah's picture was removed and put up again. There was a cleaning spree going on in the university. The portrait was not removed. AMU students have decided to boycott classes and exams till May 6 and have also asked to reschedule exams.

The Congress today asked the BJP to clear its stand on Muhammad Ali Jinnah and say whether they consider him a patriot as some of its leaders have claimed. "BJP leaders like L K Advani and Jaswant Singh have lauded Jinnah as a patriot. When questions are raised on its leaders, on Jinnah, the BJP keeps quiet. It should clarify its stand on Jinnah before the country," Congress leader Rajiv Shukla said. His demand came as media reports said Uttar Pradesh Labour Minister and BJP leader Swami Prasad Maurya called Jinnah a 'mahapurush' (a great personality) from the time of undivided India. Maurya reportedly praised him when asked to comment on the row sparked by another BJP MP Satish Gautam, who had objected to Jinnah's portrait at Aligarh Muslim University.

Protesters sit outside the AMU campus on Thursday evening. (Image: News18)

As BJP MP Satish Gautam took objection to a Jinnah portrait on AMU premises, UP Labour Minister Swami Prasad Maurya landed himself in trouble when he said Jinnah was a "mahapurush". Another BJP leader sought the expulsion of Maurya for praising Jinnah.

NCP SLAMS BJP | The NCP today accused the BJP of raking up the issue of Muhammad Ali Jinnah's portrait at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) for political gains. The Sharad Pawar-led party also dared Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to accept the demand of BJP legislator Mangal Prabhat Lodha to demolish"the Jinnah House, once the Mumbai residence of Pakistan's founder. NCP spokesman Nawab Malik said, "Jinnah's portrait is on display at the AMU since 1938. If the (central) government felt it (Jinnah's photo) should be removed (from the AMU), the HRD ministry could have done so. The BJP rules in the state (Uttar Pradesh) as well as at the Centre.”

"We hope that the state government will take strong action against the Hindu Yuva Vahini youths who deliberately tried to disturb peace on the university campus," an AMU spokesperson said. On the other hand, UP CM Yogi Adityanath has reportedly said that there is no place for Jinnah in India.

No untoward incident has been reported from anywhere since last evening but heavy deployment of police and RAF personnel was being maintained at strategic points in and around the campus, District Magistrate, Aligarh, Chandra Bhushan Singh said. The administration is keeping a strong vigil to prevent trouble-mongers from creating law and order situation, he said.

Mazin Hussain, one of the AMU students who were injured during yesterday’s clashes, tells News18's Deepa Rana: “We were leading a peaceful protest to the local police station against some outsiders who came along with a BJP leader with illegal weapons. The police lathicharged students and we were hit on our heads too.”

Muslims living in India rejected Jinnah, his ideology and partition. We are against the presence of such a thing (portrait of Jinnah) & it should be removed: Maulana Mehmood Madani, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind told ANI on portrait of Muhammad Ali Jinnah inside campus of Aligarh Muslim university.

Veteran lyricist-screenwriter Javed Akhtar today said it is "shameful" that the portrait of Muhammad Ali Jinnah hangs in Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) but people, who are protesting against it, should also oppose the "temples made to honour Godse".

Jinnah was neither a student nor a teacher of Alig Its a shame that his portrait is there The administration n students should voluntarily remove it from there n those who were protesting against this portrait should now protest against the temples made to honour Godse.

— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) May 3, 2018

BOYCOTT CLASSES | The protesting students of AMU have decided to boycott classes for five days while demanding a judicial inquiry into the violence and ruckus created by alleged Hindu Yuva Vahini activists who tried to forcefully enter the campus on Wednesday. The students are also demanding arrest of the right-wing activists who barged into the campus and burnt effigies of Jinnah. The protesters are likely to sit on a dharna the entire night outside AMU's Baab-e-Syed gate.

Aligarh Muslim University's Women's College students take out a protest rally in Aligarh on Thursday. (PTI Photo)

Following yesterday's incident, policemen in large numbers and a RAF contingent have been deployed near the Baab-e-Syed gate to maintain law and order. While the rest of the injured students were discharged after first aid, three of those with serious injuries are admitted at the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College hospital. According to a hospital official, all the three students are out of danger and recovering.

A probe was ordered on the clashes that broke out in Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) over a portrait of Mohammad Ali Jinnah in the varsity's students’ union hall. Following the clashes on Wednesday that injured at least two dozen people, hundreds of AMU students are sitting on a dharna outside the university gate demanding action against those who tried to storm into the campus and forcibly remove Jinnah's portrait.

Talking to News18, university spokesperson Omar Pirzada said, “The university administration stands with the students in these testing times.” 

PhD student Kulsum Salahuddin said, “We demand that AMU be projected as a historical and secular institution as it has always been in practice.” 

Talking to News18, AMU student union president Makshoor Ahmad Usmani said, “Jinnah is a historical figure and his portrait has been there in the university since 1938 in the student union hall. The students have ideological difference and do no stand by the two nation theory of Jinnah but that doesn't mean that historical facts should be distorted.

LATHICHARGE ON CAMPUS | A group of representatives of AMU Students Union were lathicharged by the police on Wednesday when they were protesting against the administration for not registering FIR against members of ABVP and HYV for burning the effigy at Baba Sayed gate. The students were lathicharged at University Circle, and tear gas shells were fired by the police on the students demanding FIR against the right-wing group members.

PROTEST IN AMU | Around 1000 girls marched from staff club to university circle today to show solidarity with the students who were lathicharged on Wednesday by the police on campus. The girl students of AMU have demanded action against the miscreants and alleged that atleast 15 -20 miscreants armed with illegal weapons tried to barge into the campus. The students complained that during the visit of former Vice-President Hamid Ansari to AMU on Wednesday, some outsiders tried to disturb the event.

AMU spokesman Shafey Kidwai had defended the presence of the Mohammad Ali Jinnah portrait in AMU, which has apparently been hanging there for decades, saying that Jinnah was a founder member of the university court and was granted life membership of the student union. Traditionally, photographs of all life members are placed on the walls of the student union office. The row sparked violence at the campus on Wednesday, which resulted in at least six people being injured when the police lobbed teargas shells to disperse AMU students, who were demanding the arrest of the protesters who had earlier barged into the campus shouting slogans. The AMU students alleged that the protesters were from Hindu Yuva Vahini, and were allowed to leave a police station even after being initially detained.

Violence broke out at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) campus on Wednesday as the row over Muhammad Ali Jinnah's portrait on the campus triggered a right-wing protest and sparring between two BJP leaders. At least six people were injured when the police lobbed teargas shells to disperse AMU students, demanding the arrest of protesters who had earlier barged into the campus shouting slogans.