AMU convocation in February: For chief guest, council shortlists PM, Tata, Ambani

To avoid any controversy at later stage over inviting Modi, the executive council of AMU in its meeting held on January 7, authorised Vice-Chancellor Lt Gen (retd) Zameer Uddin Shah to take a decision over a name from the shortlisted dignitaries. The convocation will be held on February 27.

“No name has been decided so far. These names came up for discussion during the executive council meeting and V-C was authorised to take the final call,” Rahat Abrar, PRO, told The Indian Express.

Abrar informed that till now only two PMs have visited AMU while holding office — Jawahar Lal Nehru and Lal Bahadur Shastri. Three others, V P Singh, I K Gujaral and Indira Gandhi had visited the AMU campus but as former PMs. Gandhi’s visit was in personal capacity to attend a marriage at Old Boys Lodge situated inside the campus.

After Modi became PM, a section of students and alumni had started campaign for inviting him to the university. However, the move received a setback with another group opposing Modi’s visit. Still some students undertook a campaign recording messages of students and faculty members urging to invite Modi and Irani.

“The opposition to Modi’s visit is baseless. He is Prime Minister of India and we have to engage with him for the development of the institution. We cannot live in seclusion. After all we are dependent on him for grants,” Jasim Mohammad, an AMU alumni, who heads Aligarh-based Forum for Muslim Studies and Analysis, said.

Shah had met Modi on December 17 apprising him about the recent achievements of the university. On January 5, Shah met Union MoS for External Affairs General V K Singh and MoS Home Kiran Rijiju. Shah had then clarified that the meeting was solely for the purpose about apprising the PM about developments by the university and not inviting him.

This had come months after the V-C had pulled out of an event organised by Modi’s close aide Zafar Sareshwala in Bihar after Shah’s proposed presence at the event “became a talking point on the (AMU) campus” with both students and teachers raising their objection.

Earlier, Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia had witnessed protests by its alumni over an invitation extended to Modi to attend the convocation ceremony.