‘Remove Police From Campus’: AMU Profs Back Students on CAA Rally

The professors demanded that police deployment at the gate of the university be removed immediately.

The professors demand that police deployment at the gate of the university be removed immediately.

(Photo: The Quint)

Video Editors: Vivek Gupta and Purnendu Pritam

Teachers of Aligarh Muslim University took to the streets to support their students who were protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. The professors demanded that police deployment at the gate of the university be withdrawn immediately. During the peaceful demonstration, the professors raised slogans of ‘Go Back RAF’ and ‘Go Back Police.’

“After the way things went down in Jamia, the (AMU) students went on an agitation. After the Vice-Chancellor’s order, police entered. Brutal force was used against students. How many students have been arrested, where have they been taken? We don’t know. The teachers’ main concern is to get the students released.”

Rehan Sadiq, Asst Professor

Teachers said that unlike in Jamia Millia Islamia, the Vice Chancellor of AMU allowed the police to enter the campus. They also said that many students of the university are still in police custody and their whereabouts are unknown.

“We demand that they be released soon. We also demand a judicial inquiry into the matter. Twenty-five of them were detained. Out of the 25, 17 were outsiders as per the information given to us. We will verify this information. But 17 out of 25 are outsiders.”

Prof Najmul Islam, Secretary, AMUTA

Meanwhile, the university administration advanced the winter vacation and declared holidays till 5 January 2020.

“The winter vacation has been preponed by the authorities. But the students should go home slowly, in a planned manner like they usually do. They shouldn’t be forced to leave.”

Rehan Sadiq, Asst Professor