After former Chief Minister of J&K Mehbooba Mufti came out in support of Jamat-e-Islami organisation, suspected of funding terrorist organisation Hizbul Mujahideen, post the massive crackdown by the government resulting in raids and arrest of Jamat-e-Islami leaders, now Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Students Union has sought a review on the ban.
AMU Students Union President M Salman Imtiaz has issued a statement saying that the ban on “socio-religio-political outfit” Jamat-e-Islami has come as a shock.
“Jamaat is neither an underground outfit nor a terror outfit. It has been part of the electoral process in the state. It is only after mass rigging of elections in 1989 that Jamaat abandoned the electoral process. We, at AMU, take strong notice of the repulsive response against the ban in Jammu and Kashmir and want the government of the day to come clean on charges against Jammat,” Imtiaz’s statement said.
The statement termed the action of the government as politically motivated and accused BJP of indulging in hardcore Hindutva Politics. “As BJP rule is coming to an end and elections are just a few weeks away, the ban on Jamaat appears to be a decision that has little to do with unlawful activities and more to do with the hardcore Hindutva policies. The religious leadership in Kashmir, civil society and traders have also condemned the ban as politically motivated,” the statement added.
The statement has drawn condemnation from Aligarh BJP MP Satish Gautam who called AMU a hub for anti-national activities. “It is sad that AMUSU has asked for lifting the ban on Jamaat. Our soldiers are dying on the border and AMU students are protesting against the ban on the outfit,” Gautam said. “The mentality of AMU students is being exposed every day. They are against ‘Bharat Mata’ and raise anti-national slogans regularly. I will speak to the varsity’s VC about this and demand action against the students involved in this,” he added.
Gautam was joined by the District President of Bharatiya Yuva Morcha Mukesh Singh Lodhi who met the SSP Akash Kulhari and demanded action against Imtiaz. SSP Kulhari assured Lodhi to write to the AMU Vice Chancellor and the Proctor in this regard.