MANUU students condemn FIR against student leader

Students of the Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) condemned the FIR against Talha Mannan, a student leader pursuing a Ph.D at the varsity.

In a statement, the students maintained that charges levelled against Mr.Mannan were baseless and politically motivated. They alleged that cases against him was an attempt to silence Muslim student voices that are critical of the ruling dispensation. “Raising the Palestinian flag and sloganeering in support of oppressed Palestinians is not ‘mischief’ or ‘provocation. It is a universal act of conscience, a stand rooted in our faith, our history and our shared humanity,” it read.

Uttar Pradesh police booked Mr.Mannan for allegedly protesting against the fee hike at the Aligarh Muslim University and expressing solidarity with Palestine. Based on a complaint from Hindu Rakhsha Dal, the Civil Lines Police Station in Aligarh booked Mr.Mannan, who is also the national secretary of the Students Islamic Organisation, an affiliate of the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, under Sections 223 and 353 (2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Mannan is a part of the student body’s national leadership and is pursuing a doctorate in education.