Home Ministry, PMO gave 'campus washout' orders: Former AMUSU president

Former Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Students' Union (AMUSU) president Maskoor Ahmad Usmani on Monday accused the Home Ministry and the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) of giving 'campus washout' orders after the December 15 incidents that rocked the campus.

Usmani read the Preamble of the Constitution during the Congress party's protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) at the Rajghat here.

"The protests were carried out in the Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) on December 15 and students faced the atrocities of the Delhi Police. In retaliation to that, we gathered at the AMU and opposed the police brutality. Our so-called Vice-Chancellor permitted the police to enter the university to stop the protest," said Usmani during his speech at the Rajghat.

"Police broke the university gate and shot bullets. RAF personnel entered the hostel and thrashed the students. Tear gas was also used inside the hostel rooms following campus washout order. This order was not given by the VC. It was given by the Home Ministry and the PMO," he added.

He said the black law of this country violates the basic structure of the Constitution given by Dr Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar.

"This is a violation of Articles 10, 14, 15 and 21. The Prime Minister is trying to say the people wearing 'sherwani' and 'kurta-pyjama' are the only ones who are fighting. I would like to ask him even he wears kurta-pyjama," he said.

The Congress party organised a protest against the CAA at Mahatma Gandhi's resting place, Rajghat.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, party's general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were among other prominent leaders, who were present on the occasion.