AMU Denies Suspending Students for Manan Wani’s Funeral Prayers

Wani, who was enrolled as a PhD scholar in Aligarh Muslim University, joined militant ranks in January this year.

Three students of Aligarh Muslim University were reportedly suspended on Thursday, 11 October, for offering prayers for the death of Manan Wani, according to The Times of India.

The suspended students were offering 'Janaje ki Namaz' following the death of the former research scholar-turned-Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist, said The Times of India report.

However, Omar Peerzada, Public Relation Officer at AMU, has denied the reports. According to a tweet by ANI, Peerzada has denied any news of funeral prayers at the university, calling it false.

Peerzada said no such thing has happened,“nor we will let it happen”. He added that there was an ‘unlawful’ assembly of a few students, which was stopped by other students.

There was no comment on the suspension of any student, though.

The university issued notices to nine students over the incident, Shafey Kidwai of the university’s PRO department told ANI.

Two Hizbul Mujahideen militants, including a PhD scholar-turned-militant Manan Bashir Wani, were killed on Thursday, 11 October, during an encounter with security forces at Handwara in frontier district of north Kashmir, officials said.

The encounter broke out in the early hours at Satgund in Handwara following a specific intelligence about presence of Wani, 27, along with two others, they said.

While diverging details emerging from the encounter site, which has now ended, police and other security forces were fired upon by holed up militants resulting in exchange of fire which continued till 11 AM.

Govt Should Look into Students Joining Militancy: AMUSU President

The Aligarh Muslim University Students Union President, Maksoor Ahmad Usmani said that the university had written letters to the prime minister, Home Minister and the DGP of Kashmir when reports said that Manan had joined militant forces. He also condemned the unlawful assembly by Kashmiri students within the university.

I condemned the “furore” created by the Kashmiri students at Kennedy Hall, we have zero tolerance when it comes to national security. We had written letters to the Prime Minister of India, Home Minister and DGP (Director General of Police) of Kashmir, when Manan had joined the militant outfit as per media reports. But we did not receive a single response from any one of them since his joining till his death which is very disappointing. Whatever we came to know about him, we knew only through the media.

Maksoor Ahmad Usmani, AMUSU President

He also said that the government should look into why bright students quit studies to join militancy.

“The government should think of the reasons why such a bright research scholar quit studies and joined the militancy. Maybe he thought that this was the only way to convey his message. The government should take this matter seriously so that no other youth thinks of taking such a step”, he said.

If he was a terrorist, we have no sympathies for him.

Mehbooba Calls Wani’s Death “Our Loss”

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Chief Mehbooba Mufti termed the death of Wani a “loss”.

Today a PhD scholar chose death over life & was killed in an encounter. His death is entirely our loss as we are losing young educated boys everyday. 1/2

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) October 11, 2018

It is high time that all the political parties in the country realise the gravity of this situation and try to facilitate a solution through dialogue with all the stake holders, including Pakistan, to end this bloodshed.

PDP President Mehbooba Mufti

Wani was a resident of Tiki Pora, Sogam, Kupwara. The other terrorists killed in the encounter on Thursday has been identified as Ashiq Hussain Zargar, a resident of Tulwari in Langate, reported ANI.

Police was also making repeated announcements on the public address system appealing to the militants to surrender, the officials said.

There was a lull in firing at around 9 AM, prompting the police to initiate search operation at the encounter site. However, the search had to be suspended after firing resumed 15 minutes later, the officials said.

Wani, who was enrolled as a PhD scholar with the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), joined militant ranks in January earlier this year.

(With inputs from PTI, ANI and The Times of India)