He said that the Aligarh Muslim University was being defamed by a certain group of people from a particular party.
Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday said that the number of Hindu candidates inviting him to campaign for them in elections has reduced drastically in the last four years citing that that people were “afraid”.
“Since the days of the Youth Congress, I have been campaigning across the country from Andaman to Lakshadweep and 95 per cent of those who used to call me were Hindu brothers and leaders, and just 5 per cent were Muslim brothers,” said Azad. “But in the last four years, I have been observed that the figure of 95 has dropped to just 20 per cent. This means that there is something wrong… Aaj darta hai admi bulane se… iska voter pe kya asar hoga… (Today people are afraid to call me… wondering what effect would I have on the voter).”
Azad was speaking at an event in Lucknow where Aligarh Muslim University alumni were observing the 201st birth anniversary of the University founder Sir Syed Ahmad Khan.
He said that the University was being defamed by a certain group of people from a particular party.
“Ek vishesh dal aur ek vishesh soch ke log, Kashmir aur AMU ko… Kashmir ke ladkon ko tang karne ke liye yeh sajishe banate rehte hain. (People of a particular party and of a particular thought are fomenting trouble for Kashmiri students and AMU through controversies),” said Azad.
Over the last few years, AMU has been in the news over its minority institution tag, reservation of seats for Dalits and a picture of Pakistan founder Mohammad Jinnah in the university’s student union office. Most recently, two students were booked for allegedly attempting to offer funeral prayers for a slain former student-turned-militant.
He asked the alumni to spread the message of Khan on “Hindu-Muslim” unity among the masses.
AMU student body president Mashkoor Usmani alleged that constant attempts are being made to defame AMU and its students are being purposely targeted.
“It is sad that today people are asking questions when AMU has given a President as well as three vice-president. We are being asked to prove our nationalism just because of one picture hanging in our premises, which was part of history,” said Usmani.
Source: The Indian Express
