AMU VC meets home minister, apprises him of situation on campus 

Vice-chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Prof Tariq Mansoor met union home minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on Wednesday to apprise him of the situation on the university campus.

Public relations officer (PRO) of the university Shafey Kidwai said, “Prof Mansoor clarified to the home minister that the ongoing students protest at AMU has nothing to do with Jinnah’s portrait on the campus.”

“The VC told the minister that students are protesting in support of their demand for a judicial probe into the ruckus on the campus last Wednesday,” said Kidwai.

AMU students are demanding a judicial probe into the alleged ruckus by Hindutva activists at the university gate on May 2 and the ensuing police action that left several students injured.

The students have been holding protests for the last one week.

“Prof Mansoor has also sought the minister’s help in the recruitment of AMU students of medicine, engineering and diploma in engineering courses in paramilitary services of the central government,” Kidwai said in a press statement.

An AMU official familiar with the developments claimed that the home minister has assured the VC of all help from the central government in restoring normalcy on the campus.

Right wing activists had burnt effigies and created ruckus at the gate of AMU on May 2 while protesting against the portrait of Pakistan founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah on the university premises.

In view of the chaos, a programme scheduled to award lifetime membership of the AMUSU to former Vice-President of India Hamid Ansari had to be cancelled.

Later, when AMU students were marching to the police station to lodge a complaint against the right wing activists, the police reportedly cane-charged them and lobbed tear gas shells at them.