Members of a Muslim family were allegedly injured in a mob attack at a railway station in Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, triggering protests by the students of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) who dubbed the incident a “failed attempt at mob lynching” and “a deliberate attempt to foment communal violence”.
In what transpired, Afsana Begum’s family was travelling from Kannauj to Aligarh for her son Shafiq’s medical treatment when they were allegedly attacked by a mob of around 25 men while getting off the train. As the news spread, several students of Aligarh Muslim University gathered at the station, demanding the arrest of the unidentified attackers.
Giving the entire episode a communal colour, the AMU students, led by student union president Salman Imtiaz, organised a protest march on Monday demanding the arrest of those involved in the attack within 48 hours.
The former Students’ Union president has linked the incident to the Dharma Samaj Mahavidhyalya in Aligarh. He said that they are against this type of mindset and urged the Administrative Officer and SSP to take strict action against the culprits.
“Today this happened in Aligarh, but tomorrow such incidents will burn entire India. Some people in this country are walking in the footsteps of Hitler and they want to recreate the same atmosphere in India as it was in Germany under Hitler,” the former AMU Students’ Union president said.
“Panic is being spread through mob lynching, people are being killed over cows. No religion promotes these practices. I appeal to everyone, be it a Muslim or a non-Muslim, do not support such people,” he added.
Meanwhile, according to the victim family, about 20-25 people approached them and started beating them up as soon as they got off the train at the Aligarh railway station.
The victim family has alleged that the policemen stationed at the railway station stood there like mute spectators video graphing the entire incident on their mobile phones. They didn’t bother to save them even though they were being thrashed ruthlessly on the ground, claimed the members of the family who were assaulted.
After the mob left, police took the injured family to the JN Medical College in Aligarh, where they are undergoing treatment. Members of the family have reportedly received serious head injuries.
The GRP inspector at the Aligarh Railway Station said: “Some passengers were coming to Aligarh in Mau-Anand Vihar train. A dispute broke over getting off the train which led to violence. Two people have been injured and both are undergoing treatment in the hospital. A case will be registered after the statement of the family is recorded”.
Though AMU has termed the incident a case of communal violence, the Aligarh police have not confirmed any such angle yet. The Deputy SP has said that this is not a case of mob lynching.
