Academic Activities Come to a Standstill at AMU; VC Questions Logic Behind Keeping Varsity Open

Aligarh: All academic activities at the AMU came to a halt on Wednesday with students protesting over the CAA boycotting classes and the vice chancellor questioning if the university should remain open in this situation.

Examinations did not take place at AMU's Zakir Husain College of Engineering and Technology for the third consecutive day, with students again blocking the entrance.

VC Tariq Mansoor in an open letter to the university community said there was "no justification in keeping the university open if classes and examinations are prevented from being held".

Some posters put up by student groups on the campus described the situation as a "lockdown".

The student groups are seeking the withdrawal of "false cases" against those who took part in protests against the amended citizenship act on December 15.

The protests appear to have intensified with girl students from AMU Senior Secondary School joining the protest.

In his open letter the vice chancellor made the "last appeal" to maintain peace on the campus and end the boycott of classes and examinations.

The VC said in the letter, "We had rescheduled our examinations but some misguided persons, including outsiders, are preventing students from appearing for the examinations."

"These elements are threatening students and we will no longer allow disorder and chaos, which would tarnish the image of the university," he added.

VC Mansoor said If anybody had any grievance or complaint, he is free to approach the President of India, the visitor of the university.

The VC also termed the incidents during the anti-CAA stir on December 15 unfortunate, saying he had already regretted the injuries and inconvenience caused to students.

In a bid to end the protests, VC Mansoor is scheduled to meet students of Zakir Husain College of Engineering and Technology, where the examination process has been disrupted.

Senior district officials too held a meeting with the AMU Vice Chancellor on Wednesday morning to review the situation.

This was followed by a meeting of top university officials to explore options to prevent the indefinite closure of the university, a senior university official.

On Tuesday night, a group of students gathered at the university canteen to protest against the slapping of sedition charges against JNU student Sharjeel Imam, who was arrested from Bihar on Tuesday.

Reacting to it, AMU spokesman Shafey Kidwai said, "We condemn this protest and take strict action against any student who holds a protest in support of a person who has been booked for sedition."