Four students were detained by the Aligarh police after they allegedly tried to disrupt Aligarh Muslim University Vice-Chancellor Tariq Mansoor’s Republic Day speech on Sunday. Later, three students — Siddharth Gulati and Tahir Azmi of the Faculty of Engineering and Rafiuddin of the Faculty of Arts — were released, but Mujtaba Faraz was arrested.
Aligarh Senior Superintendent of Police Akash Kulhary said Mr. Faraz was not a student of AMU and hence was arrested for violating prohibitory orders and disturbing peace. The students were handed over to the police by the proctorial team of AMU.
Demanding the release of Mr. Faraz, students came out of the campus and blocked the road near Chungi Chauraha, leading to a possible confrontation with the police. Mr Kulhary said they were in touch with the university administration but refused to comment on the possible action against the students. Till late evening, a group of students was negotiating with the district administration for Mr. Faraz’s release.
“Mr. Faraz completed his post-graduation last year and has applied for Ph.D. The university administration is trying to scuttle the peaceful protest by bringing out minor technical issues,” said a student, requesting anonymity. University officials refused to come on record but a source close to the administration alleged that Mr. Faraz had a criminal record.
Ansab Aamir, a student of the Engineering Faculty, said the students raised slogans when the V-C began his speech at the Strachey Hall. “Standing in the last row, they were chanting ‘V-C go back’ and showing placards, demanding his resignation. Soon, the proctor team came and took them away,” said Mr. Aamir.
‘Ironic situation’
He said it was ironic that on one hand, the V-C said in his speech that the university was committed to allowing peaceful protest on any issue within the ambit of law and on the other, he not only allowed protesting students to be roughly picked up by the proctorial team but also hand them over to the police.
The students encircled the proctor office for hours before taking their protest to Chungi Chauraha. Earlier, the protesting students organised their separate Republic Day function at Bab-e-Syed.
