UP Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath has backed the police action in Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) on December 15, when the police had to enter the central university campus in order to curb anti-CAA violence. These remarks came during an exclusive interview with Republic TV Editor-in Chief, Arnab Goswami.
Recalling how violence at Jamia Milia Islamia University had taken an ugly turn, the Uttar Pradesh CM said that a similar attempt was thwarted by the UP Police in AMU.
CM Yogi Adityanath has stated, “Police will not enter any university until the institution does not grant us permission. On December 15-16 at Jamia Millia University, violence was witnessed. A similar attempt was done at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and we stopped them from coming out of the institute. Now the case is being heard in the court which has asked the state Human rights department to file a report on the incident.”
He added, “We have also told the university, that if there is a matter of law and order, then we will not hesitate to enter anywhere.”
The UP Chief Minister reiterated his commitment towards maintaining the law and order situation, when Goswami questioned him why there was delayed action against Sharjeel Imam, the infamous Shaheen Bagh protests mastermind, even though a video had gone viral in which he could be seen giving a provocative, seditionist speech at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).
Denying any delay in taking action in Imam’s case, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath made it clear that though the government respects the autonomy of all Universities, the administrative bodies of all Universities have been told that if the internal matters of the University pose a threat to the law and order situation then the government won’t hesitate in taking appropriate action.
It is clear that the Uttar Pradesh CM is committed to maintaining law and order, and if the universities like AMU pose a threat to this end, then he wouldn’t shy away from taking appropriate action.
Over the last one month, AMU has been in news for all the wrong reasons, and one expects that with his commitment towards battling anti-social elements, even if they operate from within the central varsities like the AMU, CM Yogi Adityanath would work towards finding a permanent solution to the issue.
It is clear that large scale reforms need to be carried out in AMU. And maintenance of law and order has to be the top priority. The government must consider establishing a permanent police station inside the campus, which is the best possible solution to prevent unlawful activities, violence and hooliganism.
In fact, such steps have been taken at other institutes in the past. A permanent police station, for example, was set up inside the Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital in Gaya in order to prevent unlawful activities by students.
With frequent instances of unlawful activities, deployment of security forces can also be considered. Last year, Visva-Bharati University in Shantiniketan became the first University in India to have a permanent central government security force. The government employed the Central Industrial Security Force on the Vice Chancellor’s request given the deteriorating situation in the University campus.
There is no reason why deployment of security personnel cannot be considered in the case of AMU. The University is, after all, a central university established by an Act of Parliament. Though autonomy is essential to its functioning, the fact that a central university has become the hotbed of seditious remarks and provocative speeches cannot be tolerated.
Sharjeel Imam’s speech shows how radicalism and communal disharmony has found its way into the AMU. And this is not the first time that such a shameful episode has brought AMU into limelight. The Jinnah portrait controversy had also manifested how radical elements within the AMU might have taken firm control of the central varsity. It is such radical sentiment that needs to be curbed.
The Yogi government is thus not hesitating in taking strict action against any unlawful activities within the AMU, and we might just move towards a permanent solution to the issue of law and order threat within the University.