AMU VC forms 16member panel to defuse crisis

AGRA: With the students’ protest continuing at the Aligarh Muslim University, the vice chancellor formed a 16-member committee on Saturday to defuse the crisis pertaining to the Jinnah portrait row. The committee will talk to students and look for a way to resolve the ongoing stalemate. Meanwhile, All-India Muslim Mahasangh announced a reward of ₹1 Lakh for destroying Jinnah’s posters saying that no organisation in Pakistan must be having photos of Indian leaders who fought for independence and the same should be followed in India as well.

AGRA: With the students’ protest continuing at the Aligarh Muslim University, the vice chancellor formed a 16-member committee on Saturday to defuse the crisis pertaining to the Jinnah portrait row.

To note, the university has been on the boil for the past four days, with the students demanding action against right-wing protesters who entered the campus on Wednesday and wanted the Pakistan founder’s portrait removed from the student union office, where it has been hanging for decades. Later, fearing breach of peace, the administration decided to suspend Internet services.

“AMU VC Prof Tariq Mansoor has constituted a 16- member committee headed by Prof Jamshed Siddiqui, dean, Students’ Welfare. The committee includes registrar Javed Akhtar, president of AMU Teachers Association Hamid Ali Khan and faculty members Dr Ziauddin and Dr RK Tiwari,” informed Dr Shafey Kidwai, AMU PRO.

“The committee will talk to students and look for a way to resolve the ongoing stalemate, as the students are agitating for arrest of goons who barged into the varsity on Wednesday and action against those guilty of lathicharge on students the same day, besides judicial probe into the incidents which affected studies at the varsity,” said Dr Kidwai.

Meanwhile, as the controversy related to Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s portrait refused to die down, the AMU students continued with their protest for the fourth day on Saturday.

Internet services remained blocked for the second consecutive day, causing much problem for traders.

Classes were not held on Saturday as the AMU Students’ Union had given a call for boycotting classes for three days after the general body meeting on Thursday.

However, the major part of the day passed off peacefully.

“Students continued with their agitation at Aligarh Muslim University for the fourth day. There was no confrontation and the day passed off peacefully,” said Atul Srivastava, SP city.