Members of Hindu Yuva Vahini (HYV), a right wing Hindu group entered Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) campus with guns and other weapons and attacked students on Wednesday (May 2, 2018). The attack was against the visit of former Vice President of India, Hamid Ansari. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the right wing Hindu parent party of the ruling BJP and other Hindutva outfits had earlier sought permission from AMU Vice Chancellor (VC) to hold what they call
shakhas inside campus. RSS
shakhas are Hindu right-wing fundamentalist religious training camps.
The Hindu Yuva Vahini group entered campus with police protection. When AMU students protested, they were attacked by the Yuva Vahini goons as well as the police. Many students had to be hospitalised due to serious injuries. It has been reported that the pretext used for Vahini supporters for their armed attack was a demand to remove a portrait of Muhammad Ali Jinnah that has been hanging in the students’ union hall for 80 years. Jinnah was the leader of the All-India Muslim League in India and is considered to be the founder of Pakistan
A cursory glance at the series of events points towards a meticulously planned attack rather than one that erupted due to the ‘provocation’ by a Jinnah portrait. Hours before the attack, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP, Subramanian Swamy had tweeted on his social media profile with over 70 lakh followers, ‘Somebody needs to teach AMU a lesson. Who will do it?’ The post was made sharing
an article by the same name that was published on pgurus.com. on May 1, 2018. The tweet seems to have been deleted now.
Screenshot: Janta ka Reporter
Hindu Yuva Vahini activists who were around 30 in the number entered campus through the central gate of AMU called Bab-e-Syed with the support of police people in uniform. They are reported to have shouted slogans like ‘We will not let such respect for Jinnah pass in India,’ ‘If you want to remain in India, you must say Vande Mataram,’ ‘Vande Mataram, Jai Shri Ram!’ etc. They waved their pistols and other weapons in the air to proclaim there entry and presence