AMU VC's opposition to Mahendra Pratap's birth celebration 'unfortunate': BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday condemned Aligarh Muslim University Vice Chancellor Lt General Zameer Uddin Shah's opposition to celebrating freedom fighter Raja Mahendra Pratap's birth anniversary in the campus as 'unfortunate'.

The party said that maintaining the secular character of the university was the responsibility of all the authorities.

"Why do they have to worry about communal flare up for just remembering somebody who had made significant contribution to this university? It is highly unfortunate; maintaining the secular character of the university is the responsibility of all the authorities. I think better sense will prevail and celebrations happen as scheduled," BJP national spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao told ANI here.

Rao added that even the university acknowledges the contribution of Raja Mahendra Pratap to their university.

"Raja Mahendra Pratap had made significant contributions to Aligarh Muslim University. He was an alumnus of this university, he had contributed land and in many other ways for the setting up of this university. The entire university leadership also agrees with this assessment," he added.

AMU Vice Chancellor Lt General Zameeruddin Shah had earlier reportedly written to the HRD ministry regarding the local BJP unit's plans to celebrate the birth anniversary of Raja Mahendra Pratap on December 1 inside the AMU campus.

As per reports, Shah had warned the ministry of a possible student unrest and communal conflagration in case such a celebration was held in AMU.