Tension Prevails in Areas Around AMU as Protests Continue Against Citizenship Act, 26 People Released

Aligarh: Tension gripped some localities adjoining the Aligarh Muslim University campus on Tuesday, as people started collecting at crossings and raised slogans against amended Citizenship Act.

But there was marked an improvement from the situation the previous days, after clashes between AMU students and the police on Sunday. Twenty-six people arrested after those clashes were released late Monday night.

On Tuesday, shopkeepers in Jamalpur and Dodhpur downed shutters as tension erupted briefly.

A police force was rushed to these spots and the situation defused.

"We managed to persuade the protesters with help of local community leaders and announcements from mosques that their concerns would be conveyed to government and that their interests would not be served by taking law in their hands," SP city Abhishek told PTI.

Protests were also held in the highly-sensitive Upper Court area in the old city.

Earlier, 26 people, including eight students, arrested in connection with the violence at the varsity and surrounding areas have been released on personal bonds.

SSP, Akash Kulhari, told PTI, "Out of these 26 people arrested from the AMU campus on Sunday night, only 8 are students of AMU, while the rest are outsiders."

Proctor of AMU Prof Afifullah Khan said," In view of the tense situation on the AMU campus and surrounding areas we had approached the DM to release the arrested students as a special case and this was done by the administration."

The AMU on Sunday witnessed violent protests over the amended Citizenship Act.

The process of evacuation of hostels at the varsity continued Monday overnight, and according to latest figures provided by the AMU administration, about 9,500 out of 11,500 inmates have left for home, university officials said.

Till late Monday night, a crowd of 5,000 protestors had collected outside the Kotwali demanding the release of arrested AMU students.

The protestors were led by a large number of burqa-clad women. The protest was called off on Monday night after the Shahr Mufti Abdul Hameed had addressed the crowd and assured them that their demands regarding the release of arrested AMU students will be addressed by local police.