UP govt says no space for 'Taliban' mentality on posters condemning AMU VC for condoling Kalyan Singh's demise

Written by Shankhyaneel Sarkar | Edited by Avik Roy, Hindustan Times, New Delhi

Aug 25, 2021 08:22 PM IST

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UP minority affairs minister Mohsin Raza warned of strict action to set an example for others

The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday warned that individuals who display “Talibani” thinking or ideology would face strict action. The warning was a reaction to posters springing across the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) campus condemning the vice-chancellor Tariq Mansoor for condoling the death of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh. The government said it is probing the matter.

Posters condemning AMU VC Tariq Mansoor surfaced across AMU campus, which were then taken down. (Twitter)

The poster which condemned the vice-chancellor were shared by ‘Students of Aligarh Muslim University’, according to a report by news agency PTI. The posters shared the message - Praying for a criminal is an unforgiving crime - an apparent reference to the felling of the Babri Masjid, during which Kalyan Singh was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. Singh was acquitted along with former Union minister Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi in September 2020.

“The condolence words of the AMU VC on the demise of ex-chief minister of Uttar Pradesh Kalyan Singh are not only a matter of shame but also hurt the religious sentiments of our community,” the poster said.

The poster makers also said that the condolence message brought ‘disgrace’ to the entire AMU fraternity and the “Aligarh Movement”. The poster makers called the act of condoling the former chief minister’s death ‘shameful’. “Kalyan Singh is not only the main culprit in the demolition of Babri Masjid but also an offender for not obeying the Supreme Court's order. The VC's condolence has brought disgrace to the entire AMU fraternity,” the poster said.

UP minister Mohsin Raza said that the vice-chancellor’s condolence message was reflective of ‘Indian culture’ and the posters were an attempt to vitiate the atmosphere in the university. “If some persons of Talibani soch (mentality) are there we will treat them accordingly. This is a university of Hindustan. There is no Taliban here. This is an attempt to vitiate the atmosphere,” Raza, the minority affairs minister of the state was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. He said strict action would be taken in order to set an example for others.