21 Held After Clashes Between AMU Students, Police; Hostels Empty

Aligarh Muslim University adminstration announced closure of the institution till 5 January.

Visuals from the protest used for representation.

(Photo: PTI)

As many as 21 people have been arrested in connection with the clashes between Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) students and police over the amended Citizenship Act and orders issued to completely vacate all hostels of the university, officials said on Monday, 16 December.

“We have arrested 21 persons in the matter. Named FIR has been lodged against 56 persons and others unidentified,” SSP (Aligarh) Akash Kulhary told PTI over phone.

Senior AMU official Rahat Abrar said about 50 per cent of the inmates have vacated their hostel rooms.

‘Students Evacuated From Hostels’; Internet Services Suspended

AMU Proctor Afifullah Khan said no student will be allowed to remain in hostels as strict orders have been issued to vacate all hostels completely.

Special arrangements have been made to evacuate the students from these hostels and about 40 buses arranged to ferry them to their home towns in the western districts, ADG (Agra) Ajay Anand told PTI.

Arrangements have also been made for all long-distance trains travelling to the eastern and north-eastern states of the country, with no stoppage in Aligarh, to halt here to enable students of these areas to leave for their homes, the officials said.

UP Director General of Police O P Singh said Internet services in Aligarh, Saharanpur and Meerut have been suspended.

Protests broke out in Aligarh on Sunday night against the citizenship law, with hundreds of AMU students clashing with the police at a campus gate, leading to the university adminstration announcing closure of the institution till 5 January. Patrolling was intensified in the city following the incidents and an uneasy calm prevailed on the AMU campus.

70 People Injured

Around 70 people, including students, 20 police personnel and AMU security guards, were injured in the clashes. Among them were Aligarh DIG Parminder Singh and Superintendent of Police (City) Abhishek.

District Magistrate Chandra Bhushan Singh said Internet services in the city will remain suspended till Monday midnight as a precautionary measure.

In a statement, he said this step had to be taken following reports that some mischievous elements were sharing incriminatory posts which could threaten law and order.

All schools and colleges have been closed as a precautionary measure, SP (City) Abhishek said, adding that police pickets and a magistrate have been posted at all entry points to the university campus.

The police said all business establishments in the neighbouring market areas of the university, like Jamalpur, have kept their shutters down. Markets in the old city, including the sensitive Upper Fort area, are also closed.

The clashes at AMU started after an agitation by Jamia Millia Islamia students in Delhi turned violent and police used batons and tear gas to disperse them.

The situation is normal in the campus, the SSP said.

Meanwhile, in an official statement regarding the sequence of events leading to the clashes on the AMU campus, Professor Shafey Kidwai said, "Peaceful protests against the CAA were being held in the campus since the past few days.

“However on Sunday evening, an atmosphere of unrest started enveloping the campus following the violence at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi,” he said.

"As tempers ran high, a group of lumpen elements, yet to be identified, started instigating the protesters and this resulted in a very difficult situation which threatened to go out of control and could have led to loss of precious lives of innocent students," Kidwai said, adding that under such circumstances, the university declared a winter vacation from 16 December to 5 January.

According to an eyewitness who requested anonymity, "Around 7.30 pm, social messages circulated throughout the campus calling for a general body meeting of students at the university library."

“These messages were not sent by leaders of the students’ union but by some unidentified sources,” he said, adding that at the library, students raised the issue of Jamia violence and decided to hold a protest near Bab-e-Sayed gate.”

"Some youths wearing masks tried to instigate the students by raising emotive slogans and urged them to move to the gate in large numbers. Shortly after, a clash broke out and police entered the campus," he said.

Detained Students Must be Released, Demands AMU Teachers’ Association

Another student, belonging to the Morrison Court hostel, whose brother was reportedly picked up from a hostel room around 11 pm, said, "A group of policemen forced their way inside the hostel after beating up the security guard, lobbed a teargas shell by breaking the window pane of room number 46 which was engulfed in smoke."

"My brother and three others who were present had to flee and were then picked up by the police, thrashed and taken away," he said, urging the varsity authorities to trace their whereabouts.

When contacted, the general warden of the hostel, Mohammad Talha confirmed the incident and told PTI, “We have apprised the university administration of what took place in the hostel and our concern for the whereabouts of those who were picked up by the police.”

AMU Registrar Abdul Hameed said the varsity was in touch with district authorities to trace the students reportedly picked up for questioning.

In a general body meeting, the AMU Teachers’s Association passed a resolution demanding that students, who have been detained since Sunday night, be released.

AMU Karamachari Sangathan expressed anger over the alleged vandalism of two-wheelers by policemen inside the university campus.

Reports of protests are coming from various parts of the city, including Shahajmal and Jamalpur. Police is in a state of alert in the district.