Kashmiri students at AMU threaten to leave for home

SEDITION ROW Former student union leader terms the FIR as vendetta and harassment, says students have no option but to leave if vilification doesn’t stop

ALIGARH: Kashmiri students studying at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) have threatened to leave for their homes on October 17, if the sedition charges against three of them are not dropped.

In a letter to vice-chancellor, Aligarh Muslim University Students’ Union former vice-president Sajjad Rathar said, “If this vilification does not stop, more than 1,200 Kashmiri students will leave for their homes in the Kashmir Valley on October 17 as a last option.”

Terming the slapping of sedition charges as “vendetta”, Rathar said, “The option of holding Namaaz-e-Janaza (prayer meeting) in absentia was dropped after the university authorities did not give the permission.”

“If no prayer meeting was held as confirmed by all official agencies, then slapping a case of sedition against three Kashmiri students is simply a vendetta, harassment and denial of justice,” he said.

The letter was handed over to Aligarh Muslim Universityproctor Mohsin Khan in the presence of large number of Kashmiri students at his office on Saturday night.

University spokesperson Shafay Kidwai, however, denied the Kashmiri students’ charges of harassment and stressed that “no innocent would be framed”. Prof Kidwai also said that “there is zero tolerance for any anti-national activity on the university campus”.

Three Kashmiri students of AMU were booked on sedition charges for allegedly raising “anti-India” slogans and trying to hold a prayer meeting for Hizbul Mujahideen commander Manan Bashir Wani on October 12.

Wani, 27, pursing a PhD course in allied geology at the Aligarh Muslim University, had quit the university and joined the militant ranks in January this year. He was killed in an encounter at Shatgund village in Handwara area of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Thursday.

Aligarh’s senior superintendent of police Ajai Sahni said police took the action (on October 12) after a video surfaced, showing the three Kashmiri students raising “anti-India” slogans.

“Police have filed an FIR (first information report) against Wasim Malik, Abdul Mir and one unnamed person. They have been identified on the basis of a video recording,” the SP said.

Prof Kidwai said show cause notices have been issued to nine students for trying to hold an unauthorised gathering Thursday.

“A three-member inquiry committee has been set up to probe the incident. It will submit a report in the next 72 hours,” the university spokesman said.