Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) was gripped with high tension on Monday evening after thousands of students gathered at the Bab-e-Syed gate to protest against the arrest of a student, who was allegedly involved in the February 12 violence on the campus when two factions of students had clashed over opposition to propose visit of AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi.
The mass student protest occurred after Police on Monday arrested Mohd Talib, an undergraduate student, on charges of vandalism and promoting enmity between two communities.
As per the reports, Aligarh police has a video evidence of Talib vandalising a vehicle as per which, he was booked under sections 153-A (promoting enmity), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees), 379 (theft) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence) of IPC. He was remanded to judicial custody for 14 days.
However, thousands of AMU students protesting at Bab-e-Sayyad gate were ready to court arrest demanding immediate release of Talib.
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According to students union secretary, Huzaifa Amir Rashadi, the students had decided to court arrest in support of their demand of release of Talib and a final decision would be taken after Students Union’s general body meeting.
On February 12, a protest was held in AMU against the proposed visit of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader Asaduddin Owaisi to the campus. An altercation had occurred between AMU security officer, students and journalists of private news channel over live coverage of the event while the channel had no permission to do so.
