AMU VC under attack for media interview

New Delhi, May 18 (UNI) An interview to a newspaper by Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Vice-Chancellor P K Abdul Azis has triggered a controversy in the varsity with the Executive Council and the Court members demanding a special meeting on May 24 to discuss the issue.

In a letter to the vice-chancellor, a copy of which is in the possession of UNI, the members asked him to convene a special meeting of the Executive Council, preferably on May 24, to discuss the contents of the interview given to a Delhi-based Urdu newspaper, published in its May 5 and 6 issues.

The meeting was earlier scheduled to be held on May 17, but so far no notice had been issued in this regard, indicating that it was being postponed.

This has forced the nine AMU Executive Council members -- Justice Saghir Ahmed, Wasim Ahmed, Prof Mansoor Hasan, Zarayab Jilani, Prof Habibur Rahman, Ehtishamur Rahim Khan, Khurshid Ahmad Khan, Dr Mohammad Ilyas Khan and Jamshed Siddiqui -- to write to the AMU vice-chancellor, seeking convening of the special meeting on May 24.

''....we wish to request you to convene a special meeting of the Executive Council at the earliest, preferably on May 24, to discuss the grave situation arising out of the serious charges levelled by you against some members of the Council and the Court in the interview given to the Urdu daily.

''Your statement/interview has not only lowered the dignity of the Executive Council and the (AMU) Court, but also raised very serious questions to be considered by the Council, including the matter of alleged threat said to have been given to you by some Council member whose name had not been disclosed in the newspaper report. Some other serious aspersions are also there in the interview/statement of yours which require discussion and decision by the Executive Council.'' The letter further reminded the vice-chancellor that he had not issued any contradiction or clarification so far.

The Executive Council members have demanded that the agenda of the meeting should be ''to consider the statement/interview of the vice-chancellor to the Urdu newspaper in which serious allegations and accusations have been made against some Council and Court members, including the charge of threat to his life and the situation arising therefrom and to decide about the steps required to be taken for the restoration of dignity of the University as well of the Executive Council and the Court and also for the security of life and honour of the Vice-chancellor.'' UNI AG RN1622