AMU teachers condemn proctor's statement

Aligarh: Teachers of Aligarh Muslim University, who are on a indefinite dharna against campus closure, on Tuesday strongly condemned varsity proctor Mujahid Beg's reported statement that some hostels were being used by students for stocking fire arms. In an emergency meeting of the executive council of the AMU Teachers' Association (AMUTA) held here, a resolution was passed describing the statement as "irresponsible, baseless and defamatory".

"We challenge the AMU Vice Chancellor to immediately provide evidence for this shocking accusation or else he will be held accountable for the damage done by such irresponsible allegations which are being thrown around merely for justifying the closure of the institution," AMUTA secretary Mustafa Zaidi told reporters. Beg had on Monday alleged in a press conference that some hostels were being used by students for stocking fire arms.

Zaidi said that a meeting of the action committee of teachers has been called tomorrow in which some prominent alumni of the institution have also been invited to review the latest developments at the campus. He said the teachers were deeply upset with the V-C P K Abdul Azis's decision of not providing residential facilities to those internal students who would be appearing for various entrance exams scheduled for this month.

"If outstation students are not allowed to reside in their hostels for appearing in the entrance exams then, where are they expected to reside?" the resolution said. Zaidi warned that if the university went ahead with its

decision not to provide hostel facilities to internal students for appearing in entrance exams, teachers would have no choice but to consider the possibility of boycotting all invigilating duties for different entrance tests.

"We are aware that this would be a very extreme step and would disrupt the entire admission system of the institution," he said. However, he demanded university authorities to prevent such a situation by taking necessary remedial steps and avoiding a direct confrontation with the teaching community.

The AMU was shut down indefinitely on Saturday following clashes between two groups of students that left 12 of them injured.