Eerie silence descends on AMU campus, heavy police deployment

An eerie silence today descended over the AMU campus even as hundreds of student protesters gathered at the Baab-e-Syed gate, the scene of yesterday's violent incident in which around 20 students were injured in police action.


Violence broke out at the Aligarh Muslim University yesterday after the right-wing protestors barged into the varsity demanding removal of the portrait of Muhammad Ali Jinnah displayed on the campus.


Following yesterday's incident, policemen in large numbers and a RAF contingent were deployed near the Baab-e-Syed gate to maintain law and order.


While the rest of the injured students were discharged after first aid, three of those with serious injuries are admitted at the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College hospital.


According to a hospital official, all the three students are out of danger and recovering. The AMU students today sat on an indefinite dharna demanding action against the protestors.


The AMU Students' Union (AMUSU) alleged that violence on the campus was a "deliberate and pre-planned attempt" to attack former vice president Hamid Ansari, who was at that time barely 100 metres away at the university guest house, from where the violence erupted.


A spokesman of the varsity strongly condemned yesterday's "trespassing" of the university boundary by Hindu Yuva Vahini activists who were raising "highly objectionable and inflammatory slogans". "We hope that the state government will take strong action against the Hindu Yuva Vahini youths who deliberately tried to disturb peace on the university campus," he said.