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Protests against CAB: Security tightened at AMU Circle, FIR lodged against varsity students
In view of the ongoing protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 at the Aligarh Muslim University, security was tightened at the AMU Circle in Aligarh
In view of the ongoing protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 at the Aligarh Muslim University, security was tightened at the AMU Circle in Aligarh on Wednesday, said police. Earlier, on Tuesday night, police had registered a case against 20 named and 500 unidentified students of the varsity for violating Section 144 of the CrPC (for preventing assembly of four or more people in an area).
Superintendent of police (city) Abhishek (goes by one name) said, “Rapid Action Force has been deployed (at AMU Circle) to prevent any untoward incident.”
Police said that security was enhanced after some student leaders threatened to move towards Delhi to ‘gherao’ the Parliament where the bill was being tabled at the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
Earlier, Amit Kumar, in charge, Civil Lines police station, said, “A case has been registered against 20 named and 500 unidentified students for violating Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code. These students have been booked under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (offence of disobedience).”
To recall, AMU students have been protesting against the CAB since Monday and copies of the bill were set on fire during an on-campus agitation on Tuesday evening.
Student leader Hamza Masood said, “Discussions have been going on in various halls (hostels) since one week and we have decided to oppose the CAB tooth and nail. It is against the Constitution and the secular fabric of the nation.”
He also claimed that students were not visiting the dining halls and were on a “mass hunger strike” in protest against the bill.
Distancing himself from the ‘hunger strike’, AMU public relations officer Shafey Kidwai said, “The dining halls are not closed but it is the choice of the students whether they come and dine there or not.”
Kidwai also said that all academic activities were going on as usual. “Classes are being held and students are appearing in semester examinations as per schedule,” he said.
COPIES OF BILL BURNT
AMU students came out against the CAB and burnt its copies during a protest on the campus on Tuesday evening. Around 500 students gathered at the Bab-e-Syed gate of the varsity and took out a ‘mashaal juloos’ (torch procession).
“This bill is against the Constitution, against the vision of Dr BR Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Azad and Sardar Patel,” said student leader Faiz-ul-Hasan during the protest.
Meanwhile, former office bearers of the AMU student union have already expressed discontent against the bill.
“AMUSU organised a protest march on Tuesday to condemn the CAB that has been passed by the Lok Sabha. Thousands of students participated in the march along with the teachers,” said M Salman Imtiaz, former president of the student union.
He also urged the police to revoke the FIR registered against the students in connection with the Tuesday protest.
“We are organising a general body meeting on Wednesday evening where we will take a decision on the issue of mass revolt against the CAB. We also organised campus lock-down and dining boycott today (Wednesday),” said Imtiaz.
