AMU Suspends 3 Students For Allegedly Holding Funeral Prayers For Former Student-Turned Terrorist

The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) on October 11 suspended three of the varsity’s students for trying to offer ‘Janaje ki Namaz’ after the killing of former AMU student turned Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Manan Wani. The killing took place earlier that day in Shartgund Bala area of Kashmir in an operation which was conducted by the Army’s 30 Rashtriya Rifles. During this encounter, another Hizbul operative Ashiq Hussain Zargar was also killed by security forces, reported Firstpost.

AMU students suspended

According to The Times Of India, the proctor of the university Moshin Khan said that the three Kashmiri students have been suspended for violating the university’s rules and discipline. He added that they also indulged in an unlawful assembly. Moreover, he further said that the students will be given a showcase notice and that no anti-national activities will be tolerated inside the campus.

Reportedly, around 15 Kashmiri students had allegedly gathered at the Kennedy Hall to perform namaz after Wani’s death was reported. Former president of AMU Students’ Union Faizul Hassan was reported to have arrived at the location where he told the students to not perform the namaz for Wani. He said, “I have never supported terrorists and never will.”

However, the university has reportedly denied that any such funeral prayers were held.

News of funeral prayers being held for terrorist Manan Wani in AMU is completely false. It did not happen, neither it will ever happen nor we will let it happen.There was an unlawful assembly of few students but that also was stopped by other students: Omar Peerzada,AMU PRO pic.twitter.com/OCB2cGo8xO

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 12, 2018

Who was Manan Wani?

Wani was a research scholar at the Department Of Geology of the university. However, he was rusticated from AMU long ago and the varsity did not know of his whereabouts. Firstpost reported Aligarh Muslim University Registrar Dr Abdul Hamid as saying, “Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Manan Wani who was killed in Handwara encounter on Thursday was once a student at AMU but he was rusticated from the University. AMU had nothing to do with him now.”

Reportedly, he left the campus earlier in 2018 after which he went missing. However, his family and even the university had learnt that Wani had joined the terror outfit after pictures of him holding an assault rifle appeared on social media. Many others have raised the question as to why such a bright research scholar chose to join the terror group in the first place.

AMUSU president Maskoor Ahmad Usmani told The Times Of India that the government should look into the matter seriously so that no other student can think of taking an extreme step like this. Meanwhile, his death has sparked widespread protests in the valley as parts of it witnessed a near-complete shut-down.

Today a PhD scholar chose death over life & was killed in an encounter. His death is entirely our loss as we are losing young educated boys everyday. 1/2

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) October 11, 2018

Also Read: 4 AMU Students Threatened With Death For Being Tagged On A FB Post Mocking Islam