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Karnataka hijab controversy reaches AMU campus, students call for protest march
AMU students give call for march over Karnataka hijab controversy, dissuaded from going ahead on Wednesday in view of polling in Aligarh on Thursday. They now plan to proceed with the march on Friday
The Karnataka hijab controversy reached the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) campus in Uttar Pradesh with students calling for a protest march on Wednesday.
The AMU authorities denied permission for the protest march, citing the state assembly elections for which the first phase of polling will take place in Aligarh and 10 other districts of west UP on Thursday.
About two dozen students had gathered at Duck Point on the AMU campus over the Karnataka hijab controversy. They raised religious slogans and dispersed after deciding to gather on the campus at 2.30pm on Friday to stage a protest march.
“Students had sought permission in writing for carrying out a march in solidarity with girl students in Karnataka denied entry to college premises for wearing hijab (headscarf). However, in view of the model code of conduct being in force because of the ongoing assembly elections, the permission was denied for (the march) today (Wednesday) as Aligarh goes to polls on Thursday,” said Mohd Wasim Ali, the proctor of AMU.
“The students were convinced (persuaded) that such a protest march on the eve of the assembly elections may cause a law and order situation. Because the message for the protest march had spread on social media, thus some students gathered at Duck Point on AMU campus on Wednesday but they, too, dispersed,” the proctor said.
“A sister of ours was stopped from entering the school premises by goons at a college in Karnataka. This is against constitutional rights which every citizen has,” said an AMU student who gathered at Duck Point.
“The university administration has not denied permission for the protest march at AMU against the Karnataka hijab controversy, but has only delayed it because polling is to take place in Aligarh on Thursday. Thus, we agreed to postpone the protest march on Friday, the day after polling,” the student said.
“We will stage a huge protest march on Friday on the AMU campus in Aligarh. We have gathered at Duck Point today (Wednesday),” he said.
The AMU proctor said the maintenance of law and order in view of elections on Thursday is top priority at this juncture.
“Students too agreed to our view point and called off the protest march today (Wednesday),” the proctor said.
“We will meet the situation as it comes, if students decide to take out a protest march after the election in Aligarh and seek permission for it on Friday,” said Ali.
