Vice-Chancellor Tariq Mansoor
For failing to protect the students from police atrocities, the Aligarh Muslim Students, teachers and the non-teaching staff of the University have ‘expelled’ their Vice-Chancellor Tariq Mansoor and Registrar S Abdul Hamid.
In their letter, they have asked the Vice Chancellor and the Registrar to vacate the V.C Lodge and Registrar’s Lodge before January 5, 2020; failing which the students, teachers and the non-teaching staff will boycott their university administration and refrain from any activity in the campus.
Contradictory reports regarding the expulsion have been coming in and a lobby of those supporting the VC and opposing him seems to have been formed. Hindustan Times spoke to the students and while some supporting the VC said that the teachers and students did not have any authority to ‘expel’ the VC, a student who did not wish to be named for the fear of being targeted by the ‘other lobby’, said that the letter of expulsion was more of an expression of their disillusionment with the authorities who did not support the students and did not protest against the police brutality against the students.
Hamza Sufiyan, Vice President of the AMU Student Union has denied links to the letter saying, “The student’s union does not take responsibility for this note. It has been issued by someone anonymously. It has no signatures.” However, he added that the students, including the alumni have criticized the VC’s behaviour and different alumni associations have called for his resignation.
December 15, was a dark day for the students of AMU who were protesting against the police brutality on the students of JamiaMilliaIslamia University (JMIU) for protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). A clash between the police and the students of AMU resulted in the police resorting to heavy lathi charge and tear gas shelling. VC Mansoor had made the decision of allowing the UP police into the campus when he learned of ‘anti-social elements’ having infiltrated the university premises to stoke violence in an otherwise peaceful protest.
Over 60 students were injured, a student lost his arm due to tear gas lobbing, 26 people were arrested, most of the students were evacuated from the campus and the university was ordered to be shut till January 5. According to a fact-finding report, many students are still missing or under detention, but almost 10 days in, no details of their whereabouts have been provided by the AMU management or the government.
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