AMU students slam media for 'biased' reports on library row

Aligarh: Aligarh Muslim University Women's College Students' Union (AMUWCSU) and AMU Students' Union (AMUSU) on Wednesday organised a joint protest against alleged "biased media reports" over the issue of access to girls to the university's central Maulana Azad Library.

More than 2000 girls took out a procession culminating at the Sir Syed crossing here.

"We are deeply outraged by the manner in which the media has distorted our demands for access to Maulana Azad library and has presented it in a highly biased manner," newly-elected president of the AMUWCSU Gulfiza Khan said while addressing the protesters.

She said that some misguided individuals in the media were trying to project a highly distorted version of their demand which is very painful.

The protesters later burnt an effigy of a leading English news daily, which, they alleged, was spreading malicious news.

The procession was being followed by a separate similar protest led by the office bearers of newly-elected students union.

In a press release issued jointly by the AMUSU and AMUWCSU, the protesters said, "the AMU at present already provides an unrestricted entry to all girls from undergraduate, postgraduate and research courses".

"We demand that the HRD Ministry should provide additional funds so that the Women's College library, which is away from the main University campus, should become suitably equipped to cater to the demands of the undergraduate girls of the women's college" they said.

Referring to the reported notice issued by the HRD Minister to the AMU Vice Chancellor Zameer Uddin Shah, the statement said,"if the HRD Minister is so concerned about the girls students at AMU, she should immediately sanction funds for upgrading the Women's College library".

"We are deeply concerned over the manner in which communal forces in the country are distorting the entire incident and giving it a biased colour. We strongly oppose the politics of hate and division which is very harmful for the nation," the statement further said.

The joint press release also criticised the AMU VC for making "careless remarks" in this connection which led to the confusion in the entire matter.

PTI