The protesting students urged the government to ensure the safety and security of Muslim institutions and asked the authorities to provide protection to all places of worship to avoid any untoward situation in the future. They also urged the international community, civil society and human rights defenders to raise their voice and condemn the attacks on Muslims.
Ghazala Ahmad | Clarion India
NEW DELHI — Hundreds of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) students on Friday staged a peaceful protest against the recent “witch-hunting of Muslims” in Bihar and other parts of the country.
The students marched towards Bab-e-Syed, the main gate of the varsity, after noon prayers and raised slogans against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav.
The students expressed their deep anguish over the recent anti-Muslim violence in Bihar Sharif wherein hundreds of copies of the Holy Quran were burnt in the century-old Madrassa Azizia and the mosque on its premises.
Students asserted that the attacks on the identity and faith of Muslims were in clear violation of the fundamental rights guaranteed to all citizens under the Constitution.
Addressing the protesting students, Imran Khan, a research scholar, demanded immediate and fair action from the Bihar government and called for the speedy release of all those unjustly arrested by the police.
He also demanded appropriate compensation for those whose properties were vandalised during the attacks.
“We demand the Bihar government rebuild the mosques and Madrasa Aziziya destroyed in the violence. This would show us their solidarity with the Muslim community”, added Khan.
Protesting students sought the arrest of Bajrang Dal members and other Hindutva outfits who were part of the attacks and demanded strict action against them.
Haider Ali, a philosophy student, highlighted the role of the ruling party in Bihar state. He told Clarion India over the phone that Bhartiya Janata Party was not ruling in Bihar. “It’s a coalition government. Muslims should be wary of it, no one is on our side in this country,” he lamented.
He said no political party was working for the upliftment of the Muslim community. No one is providing them security either, he added.
Every political party is Muslim blood-thirsty, he said.
“The fact that political parties have remained silent in the aftermath of the violent attacks on Muslims in Bihar and other parts of the country is indicative of their exploitation of our suffering for their political gain,” he said.
The protesting students urged the government to ensure the safety and security of Muslim institutions and asked the authorities to provide protection to all places of worship to avoid any untoward situation in the future.
They also urged the international community, civil society and human rights defenders to raise their voices and condemn the attacks on Muslims.
They emphasised the need to stand together to protect the fundamental rights and dignity of all people, regardless of their religion, caste, or ethnicity and to safeguard the diverse fabric of the country.
A memorandum addressed to the President of India was also presented by the students through the proctorial team of the university requesting immediate action in the matter. A copy of the same has also been sent to the Prime Minister.
