Abdullah Azzam, president of AMU Student’s Union, during an interactive session at JIH headquarters in the national capital on 30 November, said that all political parties will try to use Aligarh and especially AMU to polarise the sentiments in Uttar Pradesh, keeping an eye on the assembly elections in the state and the Students Union will try with all in its capacity to ensure that peace prevails in AMU and nefarious designs aimed at tarnishing the image of AMU and the Muslim community get foiled. Azzam also informed the audience that a minority centre will be opened in the university and efforts would be made to propagate communal harmony therefrom.
After the Library controversy, another attempt to provoke sentiments got thwarted by finding an amicable solution by the Students Union, AMU officials and Aligarh administration. On 28 November, the Vice Chancellor and Aligarh BJP MP Satish Goutam decided that the university will hold a seminar to remember Raja Mahendra Pratap and BJP will celebrate the event out of the campus.
When the AMU library controversy was about to settle, AMU was pushed into another controversy after members of BJP announced to celebrate birthday of Raja Mahendra Pratap at AMU campus. It was considered unwanted interference of political parties in AMU. Lt Gen Zameeruddin Shah, Vice Chancellor of AMU, after assessing the mood of the campus, informed the HRD Minister Smriti Irani on 28 November of “communal conflagration if the programme to mark the Raja’s birth anniversary was allowed and also it could lead to massive student unrest at the university”.
Earlier, in a statement, AMU Students’ Union had clarified that the late Raja Mahendra Pratap was a student of MAO College and an illustrious alumni who is fondly remembered by Aligs all over the world not only for his contribution to the Aligarh Movement but also for his social service and lifelong commitment to fighting the communal forces in this country. He shall be remembered for his secular credentials and his achievements in defeating the communal leaders of his time. Furthermore, AMU has already honoured his contribution and his memory by placing his picture beside the picture of Sir Syed along with a plaque detailing his credentials on the walls of our Central Library.
In another press statement, the Aligarh Muslim University Teachers’ Association (AMUTA) expressed serious concern over politicisation of AMU campus on the issue of celebrating 126th birth anniversary of Raja Mahendra Pratap.
“Certain forces who have nothing to do with Raja Mahendra Pratap are deliberately trying to communalise the situation by issuing irresponsible statements on the matter only to gain political mileage out of it,” said Dr. Aftab Alam, Hony Secretary, AMUTA.
“Raja Mahendra Pratap was a revolutionary social reformist and Jan Sangh had opposed him when he contested 1952 Lok Sabha election as an independent candidate. BJP, the new awatar of Jan Sangh, is falsely claiming the legacy of ardent secular freedom fighter who was opposed to the communal politics,” he added.