Student leaders from various universities in a joint press conference in the national capital on 15 February expressed solidarity with students of Aligarh Muslim University and demanded immediate revocation of sedition cases against 14 students of AMU, following recent media reports that the Uttar Pradesh police have found no evidence of sedition against AMU students. The Uttar Pradesh police had booked 14 AMU students for sedition on 12 February, following a complaint filed by a local leader of BJP.
The joint press conference was called by Aligarh Muslim University Students Union, Students Islamic Organisation (SIO) of India and students of Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI).
Hamza Sufyan, Vice-president AMU Students’ Union along with his cabinet member could not address the joint press conference. He alleged that they were not allowed to attend the press conference at Press Club of India in New Delhi as they were stopped by Uttar Pradesh Police at Tappal near Aligarh while they were on their way to Delhi to attend the joint press conference. In a message sent to Fawaz Shaheen, Hamza Sufyan, Vice President of AMU Students Union claimed that the police did not allow them to represent their university, to show the truth to the country and requested all the justice loving people to stand with them. Former AMUSU president Mashkoor Usmani was also detained on his way to Aligarh at Lodha for half an hour.
Fawaz Shaheen, national, secretary of SIO, while addressing the press meet, said the law of sedition can only be applied in cases where the sovereignty and integrity of the Union of India are threatened by violent acts and demanded revocation of sedition charges against AMU students.
Syed Azharuddin, General Secretary, SIO expressed concern over sedition charge filed against students for a scuffle that happened at AMU campus and it is strange that sedition was not applied against the culprits but against the victims. He also claimed that the sedition case was filed against some who were not even present in Aligarh at that point of time. The press conference was also addressed by Aasif Idrees, JNUSU Councillor and Nazeel from Delhi University.