After the fracas at the Aligarh Muslim University on the night of December 15, social media was flooded with assertions that the Uttar Pradesh police may have entered hostels, thrashed students and indulged in vandalism at the Aligarh Muslim University on Sunday night while dealing with a student protest over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
It started with a Delhi University’s leftist professor Nandini Sundar’s tweet on 18th December 2019 claiming that ‘stun grenades’ were used on protesting AMU ‘students’ because of which two students lost their hands. Later many leftist liberals joined the bandwagon.
Today, dispelling social media rumours, Aligarh Senior Superintendent of Police Akash Kulhari has asserted that the anti-CAA students in Aligarh Muslim University were aggressive and had deliberately created disturbances on the night of 15 December forcing the police officials to use non-lethal weapons for self-defence.
The SSP confirmed that UP police had made similar submissions in its report to the Supreme Court and High Court and said that the matter is under sub judice.
Akash Kulhari, SSP Aligarh: Police used non-lethal weapons for self-defence. Matter is under under sub judice. https://t.co/r6VuywSNyG
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 24, 2019
SSP Kulhari had on Monday also maintained that he was ready to face an inquiry over allegations on social media that stun grenades were used by police during a protest by AMU students last week.
“I am ready to face any inquiry on this issue because I can produce all official records of my department to confirm that not a single stun grenade was used against the protesting students on last Sunday night (December 15)”, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kulhari said.
Hundreds of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) students protesting against the amended Citizenship Act clashed with police on December 15 at a campus gate after which the university administration announced the closure of the institution till January 5. They broke a police cordon and fought pitched battles with the security personnel.
Read: After Jamia, AMU students attempt riots, UP Police to evacuate campus
DGP Singh had informed that 16-17 policemen had received injuries in the violent clashes with students. The police had to fire tear gas shells. The UP Police had also shared images on Twitter where they said the AMU Proctoral team was trying to block the gates and prevent AMU students from going out. The police team, they said, was at AMU circle at that time.
The police stated that despite the proctoral team’s attempts, many students had scaled the gates, and had come outside to clash with the police at AMU circle. Another video showed the police warning the students not to resort to violence and breach orders of unlawful assembly. When the rioters continued to pelt stones, the police had to fire tear gas shells to disperse the crowd.
Reports say that UP CM Yogi Adityanath has taken cognisance of the issue.
