Three Kashmiri students have been suspended by the Aligarh Muslim University for offering funeral prayers in absentia for scholar-turned-miliatant Mannan Wani, reported the Times of India.
Wani was killed in a gunfight with the armed forces in Kupwara on Thursday.
“The three Kashmiri students were suspended as they violated the university’s discipline and rules and indulged in unlawful assembly,” varsity proctor Mohsin Khan was quoted as saying in the report.
“Four other students who supported the namaz will be issued a show cause notice. The students and their academic details are being identified. Anti-national activities will not be tolerated in the university campus.”
The report said that fifteen Kashmiri students had gathered at Kennedy Hall of the varsity for offering funeral prayers.
Meanwhile, Kashmir valley is observing a complete shutdown against the killing of the scholar-turned-militant. All shops and business establishments are closed while public transport is off the roads in capital city Srinagar.
Authorities had ordered suspension of class work in all the schools and colleges of Srinagar district on Friday “as a precautionary measure”. Kashmir University had also ordered suspension of class work at all its campuses.
Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) has called for shutdown today to pay homage to Wani and his aide Ashiq Hussain Zargar killed in a gunfight with forces in Shartgund village. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the Chairman of Hurriyat (M) in a tweet said that ‘Kashmir has lost a budding intellectual’.
Earlier, Mehbooba Mufti, the former Chief Minister of the state said that Mannan’s death was ‘entirely our loss’.
“Today a PhD scholar chose death over life & was killed in an encounter. His death is entirely our loss as we are losing young educated boys everyday,” she tweeted.
Independent Lawmaker Engineer Rashid, in a statement said that by killing Wani, New Delhi has ‘surrendered’ in front of his arguments.
“New Delhi responded to Manan Wani’s thought provoking write ups with eliminating him through bullets and has thus surrendered to his valuable arguments. No matter Manan was holding a gun in his hands, but his powerful pen has been silenced by the bullets, however it may take long for the deep state to defeat his arguments,” Rashid said.
IAS Officer Shah Faesal had said that he was saddened to hear about the death of Mannan Wani and he shares the grief of his parents.
In a Facebook post, Faesal said that Mannan showed immense promise as an educated, young leader.
