Arjun backs Jamia's help for blasts accused

HRD Minister Arjun Singh says JMI University's decision to provide legal aid to students arrested for Delhi blasts is in national interest.Terror strikes Delhi.

Even as the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded the removal of Mushirul Hasan, Vice Chancellor of Jamia Milia University, the Minister for Human Resource Development, Arjun Singh, came in support of the university, supporting Hasan’s decision to provide legal support to the two students arrested in the wake of bomb blasts in the Capital.

HT Image

The assurance came from Singh when Hasan visited him at his residence on Friday.

“There is nothing wrong in providing legal aid. In this case, I have got full details. Whatever Vice-Chancellor Mushirul Hasan told me, I understand in this context, the decision of the university is in the interest of the nation,” Singh said.

The remark came at a time when the BJP termed the decision of Hasan as atrocious, anti-national and as one to be objected.

The Congress party has, however, put its weight behind Singh. “It is an autonomous university (free to take its decisions) and as there are some unanswered questions (the University has proposed such assistance), we don’t think it is wrong,” Veerappa Moily, Congress spokesperson said.

Mushirul Hasan, who ruled out his resignation, described BJP allegations of the university diverting government funds for providing legal aid to the accused as baseless.

The Academic and Executive councils of the University on Thursday decided to request the government for a separate judicial enquiry into the Batla House encounter apart from providing legal aid to two of its accused students –– Md Shakeel and Zia ur Rehman.

Since the past week, after the shootout in Jamia Nagar, the University is witness to a disturbed atmosphere. Students of Jamia, along with the residents of the locality took out peace processions appealing to people to not to stereotype the students of the university.

— With PTI Inputs