Witness account of an AMU student who wishes to remain anonymous.

Wednesday proved to be a black day in the history of Aligarh, and yet again, UP. The Aligarh Muslim University, known for producing eminent students like Surekha Sikri, Esmat Chugtai etc came under a brutal attack of the Hindu Yuva Vahini. Around 2.50 pm on Wednesday afternoon, soon after when Mr. Hamid Ansari’s car entered the campus (he was there to attend a program) , the Hindu Yuva Vahini members, ALONG WITH A POLICEMAN, on about 20 bikes, holding country made pistols and lathis, came barging in through Bab-e-Syed, the main gate of the campus, shouting slogan “AMU ke gaddaro ko, goli maaro saalo ko”. When the security guard tried to stop them, they ruthlessly thrashed him and also beat up a student who was walking nearby.

As if this wasn’t enough, they crowded outside the building Mr. Ansari was staying in, shouting and waiving their pistols. When the AMU student’s union got the news, they rushed to the spot along with some other male students and caught hold of the miscreants. Six people were handed over to the police around 3.20 pm and the matter ALMOST dissolved. But this wasn’t the end. The police released all the 6 people soon after and blatantly refused to file an FIR against them. Meanwhile, as the students peacefully protested at bab e syed , the police came charging and threw tear gas at the students, threw them on the ground and beat them mercilessly.

The lathi charge was very violent, and many of the mobile phones were snatched and videos of the lathi charge deleted. Some have still surfaced up which show extremely appalling behaviour by the police. Around 30 students have been critically injured, including AMUSU president Maskoor ahmad Usmaniand Secretary Fahad. An ex AMUSU member, Mazin Zaidi has got very severe head injuries. People were very quick to bring up the recent Jinnah Portrait issue in this attack, some spreading rumours that the HYV members were burning effigies of Jinnah and AMU students protested to it. There were no effogies burnt, only pistols waiving in front of the building the ex Vice President was staying in.

An emergency General Body Meeting was called in the evening in the Union hall, which was attended by many students. A peaceful dharna, as decided in the GBM will now be organised until there is strict action taken against those goons as well as the violent police officers . The student leaders have personally appealed to everyone to maintain communal harmony and peace, alongwith the message that no violence , in any form, should be created within or outside the campus. The injured leaders and students are now being treated in JNMC.