AMU Alumni to Legally Challenge Candlelight Protest FIR

Aligarh (UP): Some 1,200 unidentified persons, including students, teachers and non-teaching staff of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), have been booked for alleged violation of prohibitory orders under Section 144, CrPC as they took out a candlelight march on Tuesday.

The march was taken out to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and express solidarity with those who lost their lives in different parts of the country during the stir against the controversial law.

On the evening of December 24, nearly 2,000 members of the AMU community held a candlelight march and handed over a memorandum addressed to the President to a senior district official.

Circle Officer, Civil Lines, Anil Samania told reporters that they were charged for allegedly taking out the procession "without permission" and defying a promulgated order of district officials.

Aslam Khan, secretary, AMU Old Boys' Association on Thursday, said they would challenge the FIR in courts "since it violates the autonomy of the AMU".

Khan, a senior advocate at the Delhi High Court, in a statement said, "Holding a gathering within the campus does not constitute violation of section 144, unless, of course, the university authorities had registered a complaint in this regard.

“This FIR is yet another attempt to snuff out any form of protest, even in a democratic manner, in Uttar Pradesh.... We will challenge this FIR not just in the Human Rights Commission but also in courts as holding a candlelight protest inside an autonomous institution does not violate section 144," he said.

When contacted, AMU Proctor Prof Afifullah Khan said, "Although there was no permission for this candlelight march, we have made no official complaint with the police against it."

He, however, confirmed that the AMU had received a letter from District Magistrate Chandra Bhushan Singh, asking the university to take cognizance of the fact that the candlelight march could have constituted a possible threat to the peace on the campus and in the city, and saying action should be taken against the protesters.

The university's official spokesperson, Prof. Shafey Kidwai, told PTI, "While we have not made any official complaint against this candle march, we will be responding to the district magistrate's missive on the issue."

The AMU has been shut down till January 5, 2020, in the wake of anti-CAA protests and the hostels have been vacated.

Seventeen people were killed, 263 police personnel injured and state-owned property was damaged across Uttar Pradesh in violence during the protests against the law.