Good attendance reported in all AMU depts for first time after varsity reopened: Official

Almost all Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) departments on Friday reported good attendance for the first time after the varsity reopened in phases from January 13.

The varsity was closed early for winter vacations from December 16 last year, a day after students clashed with police during a protest against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) on campus.

The university was to reopen on January 6 but the vacation was extended owing to persisting tension over the changes in the citizenship law.

Barring the faculty of law and the senior secondary school for boys, all faculties reported holding of classes on Friday, AMU Spokesman Omar Peerzada told PTI.

 

Peerzada said that the issue at the faculty of law is also being sorted out by the intervention of some senior teachers from the faculty of social sciences.

He said AMU vice chancellor Tariq Mansoor had on Thursday assured students that they can continue with their ongoing anti-CAA protest so long as it remains peaceful.

In the video message, the vice chancellor also gave an assurance that he will take all necessary steps for "withdrawing any false cases against innocent students."

He further promised that in future, "no external agency" will get involved in issues related to the university's law and order and such issues "will be handled by the proctorial and teaching staff."

According to Sufian Baig, principal of Zakir Hussain College of Engineering, almost all classes were held in different courses and he expressed hope that "complete normalcy" would return by Monday.

The university also announced that fresh dates will be issued for rescheduled examinations.

The students have been boycotting exams since the last four days and by rescheduling the exams the university has managed to defuse the situation.

Meanwhile, the inclusion of a 16-year-old mentally challenged boy's name in the FIR against AMU students for the violence on December 15 has led to a major embarrassment for the police.

The boy is not a student of AMU and his widowed mother had got him released from police custody on December 16 after producing a surety of Rs 50,000, according to advocate Asad Hayat.

The matter came to light on Thursday when Hayat, who is representing AMU students in the High court, produced the boy before the Human Rights Commission.