SIO Condemns Sedition Cases Filed against AMU Students

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India Tomorrow
New Delhi, Feb 13— The Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO) on Wednesday condemned the registration of sedition cases against 14 students of Aligarh Muslim University after the Tuesday incident.

At AMU on Tuesday, a scuffle between students and crew of Republic TV channel took place when the students asked them to go out of the campus as they were not invited to cover an event of the AMU Students Union. At this, one of the journalists of the channel allegedly used foul language for the university and the students, leading to outrage among the students. Later, an altercation took place between a group of students and members of a saffron outfit.

Media reports say that a member of ABVP filed a complaint with the local police alleging that he was assaulted, his bike was set on fire and some students raised pro-Pakistan slogans. Acting on his complaint, the local police reportedly filed a case against 12 students, including the university’s students’ union president and vice president under sedition charges.

A report by NDTV says: “Late last night, cases under sections 124-A (sedition), section 307 (attempt to murder) and eight other sections of the IPC have been registered against 12 students, including the president of students’ union Salman Imtiaz and vice president Union Huzaifa Aamir on the complaint of ABVP activist Mukesh Lodhi.”

AMU students and the university officials have also filed separate complaints with the police.

The university issued a press statement Tuesday evening narrating the incident.

“Today a team of the Republic Bharat news channel comprising two female reporters and a camera-person entered the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) campus without the required permission from authorities, while AMU Students Union was organising a programme and when the Proctor Office officials and some students raised objection to the journalists reporting live, a Republic TV cameraperson started misbehaving with the Proctor Office staff,” said AMU’s PRO office.

“Realising the complexity of the situation, the proctorial staff escorted the two journalists and their team outside the campus,” the university said.

The AMU administration has sent applications to lodge two separate FIRs regarding the incident.

“Few students tried to take the advantage of the situation and raised some objectionable slogans that provoked the other students. The situation was normalised by timely intervention of the University administration. However, few unidentified youth set afire few two-wheeler vehicles allegedly parked by outsiders in the campus. The University administration has taken strong cognizance of the situation and is taking appropriate disciplinary action,” said the university official.

Meanwhile, SIO, which is a pan-India students group, also commented on the incident.

“SIO also takes strong objection to the way a Republic TV crew provoked students at the AMU campus, calling them a ‘university of terrorists’ in their own campus. A short while after this incident armed activists of ABVP and BJP youth wing protesting against AMU Students Union gathered before the campus gate and created a riot-like situation, reportedly even opening fire at one point,” said SIO in a statement.

“Instead of booking the ABVP activists for their criminal activities the Aligarh police have filed a false case of sedition against 14 students of AMU, including two former union leaders who were not even present in Aligarh at the time!” it added.

SIO has condemned “this partisan and biased action of the Aligarh police” and demanded the revocation of the case against 14 students of AMU.

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