Here it is again… a chaos created in AMU and the normal lives of students disturbed due to outsiders. Two reporters along with two cameramen from Republic TV entered into the University premises without permission from any authority. They verbally abused the students and insulted them and the university, calling it a university of terrorists. When the students rushed to stop the recording, the reporters started screaming and pretending to be manhandled by the students. And then Ajay Singh Thakur along with some BJP members entered the varsity gate, carrying guns.
There are some questions and some doubts that need to be clarified. The unfolding of events can be taken to be pre-planned. Maskoor Usmani, ex-president of AMUSU has said in an interview that Ajay Singh, a student of AMU was protesting against the invitation of Asaduddin Owaisi. But ironically he was not even coming to the university. He had been invited but he did not give a positive response. So what was the protest for?
Secondly, no other channel not even a local news channel covered the baseless protest held by Ajay Singh. But Republic TV, a national news channel especially sent a crew to cover the protest. This raises another doubt. Why did they come there? To cover a useless and illogical protest? And even if they did why did they start recording where there were no protesters?
Now the set of lies put up by Republic TV go like this:
1. They had no permission from any authority for shooting that event and entering the university. When asked they said that they got the permission from the president of AMUSU.
2. They started recording by addressing AMU as a ‘University of terroristsʼ. It is a central university. And they just tried to disturb students which will affect their studies in which they succeeded. Because the students have to fight their own case. The VC of the university has not said anything in favour of the students and has not even done anything to protect them from false allegations and charges. It is the second time that this kind of an event has taken place in his two year term. And just like before he is silent.
3. The act of being manhandled by the students was put up by the reporter to defame AMU. After saying “ab dekh kaise fadta hu tum logon ki” the cameraman started recording and the female reporter suddenly started yelling and pretending to be manhandled. It can be seen in the videos that though the security staff is calmly talking to her, she is very loud. And when he turns back she provokes him and calls him by tapping his shoulder.
4. No reporter was harmed but the cameramen of their team did stab one of the students with his pen. Other one pushed and kicked a student.
All these events took place in AMU when there was peace and normal routine day of students had started just like any other day. And then these things happened Even after creating such a big drama they did not leave. They stood outside the university gate. It was like they were waiting for someone or something. Then the Ajay Singh drama happened and a student of AMU was shot by a gunman from Ajay’s side. As a reaction the students set his bike on fire. Republic TV was reporting this scene and as they had the entire recording they edited it as they wanted to portray the story. And on top of that AMU students have been charged with sedition and an FIR lodged against them.
A funny thing here is that the list has the names of university students including Maskoor Usmani who was not even present there let alone being present in Aligarh. He was in Delhi that day.
This kind of an event happened in JNU campus back in 2016. And this time AMU has been targeted, that too when the elections are just around the corner, ironically or coincidentally as others would like to say. It is very necessary to take action to protect the future of students. If no one is there, students themselves can fight along with their supportive professors.
