UP GOVT STERN
Will not tolerate antinational act on campuses, says govt
BJP on Monday gave a stern response to former J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti’s tweet. Hitting out at Mufti, BJP leaders and the UP govt unanimously condemned the efforts to pressurise the AMU into withdrawing cases against the accused students..
LUCKNOW/AGRA : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday gave a stern response to former J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti’s tweet which appealed the AMU administration to drop sedition cases against Kashmiri students accused of raising antiIndia slogans on the campus.
Hitting out at Mufti, BJP leaders and the UP government unanimously condemned the efforts to pressurise the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) administration into withdrawing cases against the accused students.
UP minister Shrikant Sharma said, “We will not tolerate any anti-national activity on our campuses.”
UP BJP spokesman Sanjay Rai said, “An attempt is being made to withdraw cases against Kashmiri students who shouted antiIndia slogans by stating that 1,200 Kashmiri students on the campus would return to their state if their demand to withdraw charges weren’t met. Lobbying in favour of students accused of sedition virtually amounts to provoking and encouraging anti-national activities. BJP won’t tolerate this.”
AMU students took out a march on the campus demanding a fair probe and security to Kashmiri students.
Former vice-president of the AMU students’ union Sajjad Subhan Rathar, who led the march, urged the university administration not to play with the sentiments of Kashmiri students.
“The AMU administration is not changing its stand. We have written to the CMs of UP and Delhi besides the governor of J&K that adequate security arrangements be made for October 17 when protesters leave the AMU en masse,” Rathar said before meeting AMU registrar Abdul Hamid. He said after naming two Kashmiri students for alleged sedition, seven more names were being sent which was unjustified.
“There is no need to target JNU, Jamia and AMU. The students from Kashmir are being pushed to corner and are being provoked,” he said.
The BJP, however, made it clear that sedition charges on few AMU students from Kashmir was made after they shouted anti-India slogans which was recorded in the camera and formed the basis for university’s action.
Uttar Pradesh BJP general secretary Vijay Bahadur Pathak said: “I don’t think anyone should support anti-national activity anywhere. I think all of us should realise this especially when we believe videos of students shouting slogans have gone viral.”
AMU spokesman Shafey Kidwai said that the AMU administration had already initiated a probe and would be in position to take a stand only after the inquiry was over.
The BJP slammed those who were calling for complete boycott on campus.
“To build pressure some are even suggesting that the birth anniversary of AMU founder Sir Syed Ahmad Khan on November 17 should not be observed on campus in protest. This is preposterous,” Rai said.
The BJP also urged the Muslim intellectuals to make their position clear on the issue.
“We demand that the local AMU administration shouldn’t buckle under pressure and must act strongly against those who raised anti-India slogans. Muslims who have kept quiet on the issue must clarify their stand in the same way as some leaders like Asaduddin Owaisi and Zafaryab Jilani instantly react on any issue concerning minorities,” the BJP leaders said.