AMU VC apprehends threat to life from CAA protesters

Vice-chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has apprehended threat to his and his family's life from the students, who have been protesting against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act and has asked the state government to take action against what he termed ''anti-social'' and ''lumpen'' elements in the varsity.

In a letter to the UP chief secretary and police chief, the VC Prof. Tariq Mansoor said that he had been labelled as ''RSS/BJP member'' and CAA ''supporter'' by these elements.

''Some anti-social and lumpen elements, including the rusticated students and those on bail in criminal cases, are openly going around the campus and instigating certain sections to attack me,'' the VC said in his letter.

He also said that these elements had uploaded posts on the social media ''aimed at instigating violent reaction'' against him and ''vitiate'' the peaceful atmosphere in the varsity.

''They (protesters) have put posts on the social media that funeral of the VC will be taken on the day the varsity opens,'' Prof. Mansoor said.

The VC said that if these lumpen elements were not controlled and if any untoward incident occurred, it would have a cascading and spiraling effect in the country as the AMU was a sensitive national institution.

The letter of the VC followed large scale violence in the varsity during protests against the CAA last month. A probe was being conducted into the violence on the direction of the Allahabad high court.

Around 50 students of the varsity had been booked on charges of using objectionable language against UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath during their demonstration in Aligarh on Thursday.