Abdullah Azzam, (Ex-President of Aligarh Muslim University Students Union) (AMUSU), while addressing a press conference organised by Students Islamic Organisation of India at JIH headquarters on May 4, said the issue is not portrait of Jinnah but it is against educational institutions. They are attacking AMU because they don’t want the weaker and marginalised students to study because after getting education these students will dissent and raise questions on wrong policies. It is a fight between those who are trying to destroy the country and between the students who want to build the country. They want an enemy to play their politics on and they will continue to create controversies while changing the narratives, keeping an eye on the upcoming elections.
Mateen Ashraf (Cabinet Member AMUSU), while condemning brutal attacks on students said the students will not attend classes and keep on agitating so long as the attackers are arrested and punished. The AMU alumni from across the world have expressed their solidarity with the victims of the attack. The civil society, AMU Teachers Association and the students and teachers of many other universities have joined hands to raise their genuine demands and announced to continue to fight for the sake of justice.
Shariq Ansar, General Secretary of Fraternity Movement, said it is a very serious issue that the state government failed to provide security for the former Vice President of India, Mr. Hamid Ansari. “The Hindutva elements are attacking one campus after another and doing everything just to win elections. It appears that this government has only one agenda and that is to win elections no matter at what cost,” said Ansar.
Najmussaqib, Cabinet member AMUSU and Jaseem P.P of SIO also addressed the press meet.
In yet another protest outside UP Bhawan, New Delhi later in the day the civil society groups, students leaders under the banner of United Against Hate demanded immediate action against police personnel and Hindu Yuva Vahini goons for unleashing violence on students in AMU campus. The protestors condemned the strategic negligence of Uttar Pradesh Police in taking action against this criminal offence and for assaulting the peacefully protesting students.
“It is high time that we stand up against the present government’s fascist murderous demeanour, ethnic cleansing and violence on marginalised sections with the visible support of police force.
“We hereby appeal to all concerned citizens and students to come together and join the fight to save democratic ethos and safeguard Constitutional values to defy the vicious and monstrous politics of saffron forces. We demand the University administration, Uttar Pradesh Government and Police, National Human Rights Commission and the National Minority Commission for immediate intervention and to arrest the culprits at the earliest,” the press statement said.
According to the statement, “This incident should be read in line with the growing vandalism that is being unleashed by Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad on campuses across India. The AMU incident is the latest in row. We are witness to the delinquent attitude of the RSS-Sangh Parivar led Bharatiya Janata Party government against minority institutions like Aligarh Muslim University and Jamia Millia Islamia.”
The protestors also observed that the forced disappearance of Najeeb Ahmed from Jawaharlal Nehru University, institutional murder of Rohit Vemula and other similar incidents unmask the violence inbuilt in the ideology of the present ruling party and its allies. By perpetrating hooliganism across campuses in India, ABVP polarises young generation of this country through politics of hate and creating fear in the minds of people. ABVP has been crippling down academic spaces across the country with their obnoxious fascist politics.