The Aligarh Muslim University was on Saturday shut down indefinitely following violent clashes between two rival groups of students that left around 12 of them injured.
One group belonging to Bihar and eastern UP and the other to western UP and some others parts opened fire and indulged in brick-batting in the university campus last night.
“The AMU has been closed sine die in the early hours of today following a faction feud between two groups,” AMU spokesman Rahat Abrar said.
About half-a-dozen students belonging to two factions have been injured in incidents of firing and brick-batting between the rival groups, he said.
However, police sources said that around 12 have been injured in the clash and around six of them have received pellet injuries.
The trigger for the clashes was a scuffle between some students who had gone to the University Controller of Examinations on Thursday to point out some irregularities.
Prominent student leader Mushtaq Ahmed said, “The main clash took place last evening when a group of students had gone to the university proctor’s office to file a complaint regarding a clash between two rival factions near Zakaria market adjoining the university campus”.
Mr. Mushtaq, who was the convenor of the student action committee which earlier played a key role in the restoration of the AMU students union, alleged that while one group of students was entering the proctor’s office unprovoked firing was triggered off by some unruly elements who were “present at the proctor’s office from before”.
Mr. Abrar said orders have been issued to vacate all hostels within next 48 hours.
The decision to close the university was taken on the basis of a report by the district administration suggesting that the situation could worsen if strong precautionary measures are not taken, he said.
Demanding a probe into the incident, Mr. Mushtaq said all student leaders are trying their best to restore complete normalcy at the campus so that the entire exam schedule and academic calendar is not completely thrown out of gear. The main university exams are scheduled for next week.
Former secretary of the AMU teachers association Jamshed Siddiqi said, “Yesterday’s violence is a result of the complete moral failure of the entire university administration.” He has demanded immediate action against those officials responsible for this incident.
Wasim Ahmed, former Rajya Sabha member and present member of the AMU court, has demanded the immediate removal of the present AMU administration including the vice chancellor blaming them for the present crisis.
Mr. Ahmed said yesterday’s incident marks a total breakdown of law and order at the campus and the central government should no longer remain a mute spectator to “wrong doings which have been going on at the campus since the last few years”.
