UP: AMU looking into scuffle involving Kashmiri students

Aligarh, Dec 28 (PTI) The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) is looking into the December 24 scuffle between two groups of students — one from Kashmir and another from eastern Uttar Pradesh — and will take “stringent measures” to ensure safety of students on the campus, officials said on Wednesday.

The university will also find out the reasons behind other such clashes in recent past, they said.

An altercation broke out on Saturday night, when Jibran, a Kashmiri student residing in an AMU hostel, allegedly objected to a game of badminton being played outside his hostel room by a group of students from eastern UP.

“We have initiated a time bound process for ascertaining the reasons behind the recent incidents. The university will stringently follow all measures and steps for ensuring the safety and security of all students at the campus,” AMU spokesman Omar S Peerzada told PTI.
Peerzada did not specify any timeline for initiating measures but said it would come soon.

AMU Proctor Prof Mohammad Waseem Ali has denied any negligence on Saturday’s fight and said that the issue had been blown out of proportion.

He said that the incident was triggered when a Kashmiri student had objected to the din caused by a badminton game which was being played just outside his room.
On Sunday evening, a group of Kashmiri students held a protest at the Centenary Gate alleging inaction over Saturday’s incident.

The protesters had also blocked traffic by closing the Centenary Gate. The closure, however, led to another scuffle near the Centenary Gate between Kashmiri students and those said to be from eastern UP.

On Wednesday, Jibran told media that some “goons” brandishing firearms had tried to disrupt their Sunday’s protest.

Meanwhile, Kashmiri students have drawn the attention of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, local BJP MP Satish Gautam and AMU registrar towards Saturday’s incident.

On Monday, the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) had in a letter to Shah urged him to order a time bound inquiry into the some incidents of “intimidation and harassment of Kashmiri students” at AMU during the past few months.

The letter alleges that Kashmiri students have become targets of “hostile elements” at the AMU campus which is leading to an environment of “fear” among more than 1,400 students from the Union territory.

BJP MP Gautam on Wednesday expressed concern over some recent incidents which have led to a sense of insecurity among Kashmiri students studying at AMU.

Gautam told reporters that a delegation of JKSA had met him the previous day over the Saturday’s incident.

Gautam said that he spoke to senior AMU and district officials and asked them to take strong punitive steps against those elements who are responsible for such acts.
The J&K students had also met the AMU registrar on Tuesday over the issue.

National convener of the JKSA Nasir Khuehami, who was part of the delegation that met the local MP, said on Tuesday that last November, a Kashmiri student was seriously injured in an attack inside a hostel, but the university authorities had allegedly failed to take strong action against the assailant.