Jinnah portrait row: Hunger strike to begin if demands are not met, alert AMUSU leaders

On the 11^th day of ongoing protest by Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) students, the students’ union leaders on Saturday said that the stir would be intensified and a relay hunger strike would start if the demands were not met in time.

A general body meeting of the students’ union was held on Friday, said AMUSU president Mashkoor Usmani.

In the meeting, it was decided that a relay hunger strike would begin this evening if authorities do not agree to take action against members of right-wing organizations who barged into the campus and were involved in acts of violence, Usmani said.

The union were also demanding action against the police officersv for lathicharging students. A number of students were injured during the lathicharge, Usmani added.

Around Friday midnight, AMU Students’ Union met District Magistrate Chandra Bhushan Singh to press for their demands and to find out a solution before Saturday evening.

"We are hopeful after last night's talks that something concrete would come out by this evening," Usmani said.

He added that the students would cooperate with the administration ensuring that the annual exams, which has started from Saturday, would not be affected by the ongoing protest.

Earlier, Jignesh Mevani claimed that around 40,000 students are struggling to protect the Aligarh Muslim University.

However, the district magistrate said it was not possible to accept their demands even before they have called off their protest. Singh also dismissed allegations that the clash which took place on Wednesday was a part of a conspiracy to attack former vice president Hamid Ansari.

Ansari, who was present inside the campus then, felt that he was a target, he would have certainly filed a complaint with the police.

“I have told the leaders of the AMU Students Union that they should not make such baseless allegations," he said.

Activists of Hindutva organisations held a protest on Friday evening at the Ramlila Grounds, demanding that the portrait of Mohammad Jinnah to be immediately removed from the university premises and a probe to be conducted into the alleged anti-national activities.

The state president of the Vishwa Hindu Personal Board, Dharmendra Singh Pawar, said that in Gajraula town that he would offer Rs 1 lakh to anyone who would remove Jinnah’s portrait, as per reports.