4 AMU students booked for march in support of Palestine

“Four students have been named and several others who are yet to be identified were booked under IPC sections 153 A (promoting enmity among different groups),188 (disobedience to order promulgated by public servant) and 505 (statements conducting to public mischief) for taking out the protest march on an international issue without seeking prior permission from the authorities concerned at AMU. No arrests have so far been made as our investigation is ongoing,” said Mrigank Shekhar Pathak, Superintendent of Police (SP), Aligarh.

Mohammed Wasim Ali, Proctor, AMU, said the march was held without prior permission and hence it was illegal. “The AMU stands by what our country has taken the stand in connection with the ongoing war. We cannot allow any indiscipline on a sensitive international issue on the campus,” said Ali.

“We have also ordered an internal inquiry and action will be taken against all those who have violated the rule of law,” he said.

Ali said they were informed that dozens of students carrying placards had gathered on Sunday evening at Duck Point and marched towards the Bab-e-Syed gate. He said they were shouting slogans in favour of the Palestinians and termed the bombings by Israel as “atrocities inflicted on innocent natives to establish supremacy”.

Satish Gautam, the two-time BJP MP from Aligarh, was the first to comment on the march after he saw the videos. “Our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modiji has made our country’s stand clear on the issue. The country can never support terrorists,” said Gautam.

“The AMU students have taken out the march to highlight a different picture, which is not real. We will not allow anyone even if they are students to act against legal norms and hence police action is a must in this regard,” he added.

Dr Santosh Singh Chauhan, Congress’ Aligarh district unit chief, said his party too has favoured Israel as the country is fighting to protect its sovereignty. “Why the AMU students took out the march in support of the Palestinian people is their internal matter,” said Chauhan.