AMU students hold protest march over Sambhal violence, urge president to intervene

ALIGARH: A group of students of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) took out a march on Monday to protest against the recent violence in Sambhal district of Uttar Pradesh and expressed grave concern over the "rising incidents of communal hatred" in the country.

The protesters marched to the Bab-e-Sir Syed Gate in the afternoon and submitted a memorandum addressed to President Droupadi Murmu to university authorities, urging her to take cognisance of the increasing communal polarisation in the country and initiate strong preventive measures to maintain peace and harmony.

The memorandum requested the president to intervene in the situation, which according to the students is taking a "menacing" turn. It also called for a high-level probe into such incidents, with strong punitive action against those found guilty, including government officials and police personnel "who allowed the situation to escalate".

The students emphasised that preserving the country's unity and integrity requires immediate remedial measures. The memorandum proposed "systematic reforms in the law-enforcement services" to address the root causes of such incidents. The students also demanded that the families who lost their loved ones in the violence be provided with "fair and just ex-gratia relief without delay".

When contacted, AMU Proctor Mohammad Waseem Ali told PTI that the students appealed for "peace and amity" across the country while voicing their concerns over the Sambhal incident . "Today's march was peaceful and the university authorities have assured the students that their sentiments would be conveyed to the authorities concerned," Ali said.

Tension has been brewing in Sambhal since November 19, when a Mughal-era mosque was surveyed on court orders following a petition that claimed that a Harihar temple previously stood at the site. Violence erupted during a second survey on November 24 as protesters gathered near the Shahi Jama Masjid and clashed with security personnel.

Four people died and several others were injured in the ensuing violence. Police have booked more than 2,750 people, most of them unidentified, in connection with the violence. Among those booked are Samajwadi Party's Sambhal MP Zia ur Rehman and local MLA Iqbal Mehmood's son Sohail Iqbal. While police continue to probe the case, a three-member judicial commission is also investigating the matter.