Aligarh (UP), Oct 17 (PTI) The BJP Yuva Morcha on Friday warned of launching an agitation if those responsible for the alleged "removal of posters" of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath from the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) campus were not arrested within two days.
However, AMU authorities have strongly refuted the allegations.
Members of the youth wing gathered outside the district magistrate's office and submitted a memorandum, alleging that "radical student elements" deliberately took down the posters, which, they claimed, amounted to an insult to the chief minister.
Speaking to reporters, the youth wing leaders accused AMU of nurturing what they described as "the ideology of MA Jinnah", alleging that such a mindset was responsible for the incident.
University Proctor Mohammad Waseem Ali told PTI that the issue was being "blown out of proportion" and categorically denied that any posters of the chief minister were removed by students.
"Earlier this week, the university was informed by municipal authorities that 14 solar lights were being installed on campus using funds sanctioned by MLC Dr Tariq Mansoor, former vice-chancellor of AMU. There was no mention of any poster or sticker being affixed to these lights," Ali said.
He added that on October 13, individuals claiming to be from the municipal department installed the lights without informing university officials.
"Later, we came to know that one of the solar lights carried a plastic sticker showing the chief minister and the MLC. The person who had installed the light himself removed the sticker and took it back. No one from the university was involved," the Proctor said.
The sticker was one foot by two feet in size, according to officials.
Ali further clarified that while one student had verbally objected to the installation of a light, there was no attempt by any student to remove the sticker.
A senior university official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was no intent to insult the chief minister.
"At AMU, posters or photographs of political leaders are discouraged as they can create unnecessary controversy. We also do not permit political parties to field candidates in students' union elections for the same reason," the official added. PTI COR KIS MPL MPL