It all started when Delhi University professor Nandini Sundar tweeted on 19th December, 2019 that ‘stun grenades’ were used on protesting AMU ‘students’ because of which two students lost their hands.
Just returned from Aligarh, AMU. Two students in ICU with severe head injuries, two students in plastic surgery ward with hands blown off by stun grenades. At least 70 with minor injuries who didnt register for MLC because they were scared of being targeted later. 1/1
— N S (@nandinisundar) December 18, 2019
Similar such ‘stun grenade’ usage appeared in leftist rag The Telegraph India which claimed that a report prepared by Jamia Millia Students who went to AMU to ‘fact-find’ on what transpired the previous night in violence, mentioned usage of ‘stun grenades’. Again, these were not official reports. Either Jamia Millia ‘students’ who surprisingly double up as investigators have reported or Sundar. Sundar, wife of The Wire Founding Editor Siddharth Varadarajan, is also accused of helping Maoists.
Read: Meet Nandini Sundar, the DU professor who is accused of having blood of adivasis on her hand
Sundar’s claims were then repeated by pro-Aurangzeb ‘historian’, Audrey Truschke.
Folks—I’m getting a lot of pushback on this. I have this from a source I trust. I recognise that we can’t apply normal verification standards given the internet shutdowns, etc.
All that said, I sure hope I’m wrong.
— Audrey Truschke (@AudreyTruschke) December 22, 2019
Amongst other people, she was also called out by Aligarh Police which denied such allegations.
Respected Madam, this is just a rumor, check the facts of any such rumor and then send it, please cooperate in maintaining peace in the society.
— ALIGARH POLICE (@aligarhpolice) December 22, 2019
However, by then the propaganda has now spread far and wide.
Students we met in the #AMU hospital had deep wounds on their head and abdomen and one of them had had his right hand amputated. Resident doctors told us that some of the injuries had been caused by rubber bullets and stun grenades.https://t.co/d4E7WCWoD6
My report in @livemint— Natasha Badhwar (@natashabadhwar) December 21, 2019
In Aligarh, police used stun grenades against students – and university officials justified this.
Stun grenades are used only in war situations and for militarised policing, never to quell student protests.
https://t.co/xYLGKCMzdj via @scroll_in— Cobrapost (@cobrapost) December 21, 2019
Aligarh SSP Akash Kulhari has now clarified that no lethal arms were used to control the mob violence that broke out at AMU during the anti-CAA protests. He stated that he is ready to face an inquiry over social media allegations that stun grenades were used by police during the protests.
