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Row over brawl involving Kashmiri student escalates, AMU to form panel
Agra: A brawl between two students of Aligarh Muslim University — one from Kashmir and another from Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur — over a game of badminton escalated on Tuesday, with the university ordering a fact-finding committee to trace the guilty even as Kashmiri students on campus alleged that they were manhandled during a peaceful protest
Agra: A brawl between two students of Aligarh Muslim University — one from Kashmir and another from Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur — over a game of badminton escalated on Tuesday, with the university ordering a fact-finding committee to trace the guilty even as Kashmiri students on campus alleged that they were manhandled during a peaceful protest.
A group of Kashmiri students on Tuesday met AMU registrar Mohd Imran, who is an IPS officer on deputation with the university, and later claimed that the university authorities have assured to constitute a fact-finding committee to trace the guilty and take action against them.
Officiating proctor Prof Syed Ali Nawaz Zaidi said the issues raised by the Kashmiri students were addressed during the meeting with the registrar. “A fact-finding committee will probe the matter and the guilty will face action,” he said. “There is normalcy on the campus and no adverse opinion should be formed on the basis of a one-minute scuffle that took place between two students.”
The incident that took place on Saturday night took a political turn, with former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti complaining of “inaction” against “hooligans harassing Kashmiri students in the university”.
On Sunday, a group of Kashmiri students staged a protest and closed the university’s centenary gate, which was later opened. They alleged that they were manhandled despite lodging a peaceful protest.
Meanwhile, a video purportedly showing a student loading a pistol on AMU campus has gone viral on social media.
On Tuesday, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Aligarh Satish Gautam condemned the incident and blamed the vice-chancellor for failure to manage university affairs.
“I have seen the viral video and reiterate my past demand of a proper check of AMU campus to find if there are illegal arms there. I condemn the attack on Kashmiri students and assure president of Jammu and Kashmir Student Association of support,” said the MP, adding that he has taken up the matter with the AMU registrar, SSP and SP, Aligarh, to identify the armed student and take suitable action.
“The student carrying a firearm and tarnishing the image of the university should be suspended and a case registered against him. The AMU vice-chancellor has failed to manage the affairs but none would be allowed to create a wave of fear within UP ruled by chief minister Yogi Adityanath,” he added.
University’s officiating proctor Zaidi, however, said, “We too have seen the video going viral on social media with a person carrying a firearm, but it is tough to identify him and to ascertain if he is a student of the AMU.”
HT could not independently verify the veracity of the video.
Zaidi said most Kashmiri students were satisfied with the way the university had handled the issue. “To address issues raised by the Kashmiri students, a meeting will be chaired by pro vice-chancellor Prof Mohd Gulrez on Wednesday and attended by all concerned, including provost and warden from halls,” he said.
Nasir Khuehami, national convener of the Jammu and Kashmir Student Association, who met the BJP MP, thanked him for solidarity with Kashmiri students in AMU. “The Kashmiri students had a fruitful meeting with AMU registrar also who assured to constitute a fact-finding committee to probe issues raised,” said Nasir.
Aligarh SSP Kalanidhi Naithani, on Monday evening, issued a video statement, claiming the situation was “totally peaceful” on AMU campus.
“There is information about some dispute over a game of badminton between a student from Kashmir and another from Ghazipur. Next day, the proctorial board of AMU took up the matter and issued a statement. On Monday, Kashmiri students met the officials of the district administration and were promised a meeting with AMU officials on Tuesday,” Naithani said.
“There has been no FIR, tehrir or complaint regarding the incident and no information about injury to anyone or any medical examination,” the SSP said.
In her tweet on Monday, Mehbooba Mufti had complained of “inaction against hooligans harassing Kashmiri students in AMU”. She requested Union home minister Amit Shah, AMU officials and Aligarh police to take cognizance of the matter.
There are about 1,400 Kashmiri students in Aligarh Muslim University.
