The university EC’s silence on the administration's unwanted use of force is also worrisome, the top Muslim body says
NEW DELHI — The All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat (AIMMM), the confederation of leading Muslim organisations and eminent personalities of the country, has expressed its deep shock and strongest condemnation over the recent incidents at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), where administration used excessive and unjustifiable police force against peacefully agitating students.
The AIMMM also expressed its deep concern over the AMU Executive Council’s silence. The organisation said “the university’s executive council’s silence on the university administration’s unwanted use of force is worrisome,” it said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Such heavy-handed measures against students exercising their democratic right to protest are unacceptable in any civilised society”, said Feroze Ahmad Advocate, President of AIMMM. He asserted that universities are meant to be safe spaces for free thought, debate, and the peaceful expression of grievances — not arenas for intimidation and violence by state authorities. “The reported baton charges, arbitrary detentions, and harassment of AMU students are a direct attack on the dignity, autonomy, and academic freedom of one of the country’s most prestigious institutions,” he said.
AIMMM firmly believes that differences of opinion or dissent in a university campus must be addressed through dialogue, empathy, and lawful procedures—not through coercion or brutality. Resorting to police crackdowns only deepens mistrust between students and the administration, damages the academic environment, and undermines democratic values, he said.
The Mushawarat called for an immediate and impartial judicial inquiry into the incident and identification of those responsible for the excessive force, and ensure accountability.
It asked the university administration to safeguard the rights and safety of its students and ensure that no reprisal action is taken against them for expressing their views peacefully. It also said the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) must take suo moto cognizance of the matter and monitor the inquiry process.
The Mushawarat statement said it stands in solidarity with the students of AMU in their struggle for justice and their right to dissent. “We reiterate that universities must remain bastions of learning, critical thinking, and respectful engagement — not targets of repression”, the statement said.
