600 AMU Students Booked for Blocking Road Over Student’s Arrest

Students protested outside the varsity campus, seeking immediate release of those detained.

(Photo: The Quint)

The Aligarh police has registered an FIR against over 600 students of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) for violating prohibitory orders by blocking the roads on 26 January night, Hindustan Times reported.

“These 600-700 unidentified students are booked under Sections 188 (violation of prohibitory orders) and 341 (jamming public road). The case has been registered at Civil Lines police station of Aligarh,” Anil Samania, CO in Aligarh told Hindustan Times.

Hundreds of AMU students blocked traffic on the main Aligarh-Moradabad Highway, demanding release of a student who was held for allegedly heckling the varsity’s Vice Chancellor Tariq Mansoor during his Republic Day speech.

The blockade, which started on Sunday evening, continued till 2 am, the official said.

At least four AMU students, on Sunday, were detained by the police, for raising slogans against Mansoor during the annual Republic Day programme, sources told The Quint.

Out of the four detained, three students Tahir Azmi, Siddhartha Gulati and AM Faraz were initially released, while Ahmad Mujtaba was released on Monday.

The students, chanted slogans, demanding the resignation of the VC for failing to protect students and allowing the police inside the campus on 15 December last year, which left several students injured.

The protesting students were stopped by the proctor team and handed over to the local police by the administration.

Amid heavy police deployment, the students protested outside the varsity campus, seeking immediate release of Mujtaba.

‘Go Back VC’

The incident occurred when the VC giving his concluding remarks when a group of students raised ‘Go back VC’ slogans, demanding his removal and a minor tussle ensued between two groups of students in the audience before the security staff stepped in, according to eyewitnesses, PTI reported.

Four of the hecklers were whisked away by the security staff and taken to the Proctor's office, before being handed over to the police.

Students' Coordination Committee, Ansab Amir, said the agitating students held a separate programme celebrating Republic Day at their dharna site, according to PTI.

Aligarh Muslim University has been rocked by protests by students and teachers against the amended citizenship law.

Meanwhile, AMU VC Tariq Mansoor termed as “unfortunate” the recent happenings on the campus and said peaceful protests will be allowed on any issue within the ambit of law.

Delivering his speech, the Vice Chancellor pledged to protect the minority character of the university.

"The recent happenings in the campus have been unfortunate. I have always stood and will always stand by my students, teachers and AMU fraternity," Mansoor said.

"AMU is committed to allow peaceful protest on any issue within the ambit of law," he added.

(With inputs from PTI & Hindustan Times.)