Manan Wani killing: Suspension of two Kashmiri students, booked for sedition, revoked by AMU

The development comes after hundreds of students, studying at the AMU, held a silent protest march demanding the withdrawal of sedition case against Kashmiri students.

Suspension of two Kashmiri students, who were booked on sedition charges for allegedly trying to hold a prayer meeting for slain terrorist Manan Wani, of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) was revoked on Tuesday. Another student from Kashmir has been booked on charges of sedition.

AMU PRO Omar Peerzada told news agency ANI that the decision to revoke the suspension was taken after a three-member committee looked into the issue.

"A 3-member committee was constituted. Fact-finding committee looked into the entire matter. It was concluded from evidence that suspension will be harsh for their act and conduct. So we revoked it," he said.

The development comes after hundreds of students, studying at the AMU, held a silent protest march demanding the withdrawal of case against the three Kashmiri students. The protesting students held a march outside the AMU campus carrying placards reading ‘Being a Kashmiri is not a crime’.

The silent protest was held during a function held for alumni of the reputed university.

Notably, the AMU administration had earlier clarified that no Namaz-e-Janaza was held on the AMU campus after the terrorist was gunned down by forces in Jammu and Kashmir.

The killing of Manan Wani, a PhD scholar-turned-terrorist, by security forces in an encounter has triggered political debate as well. On Monday, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti took to microblogging site Twitter to say that Wani was a “victim of relentless violence” in the Kashmir Valley. She had also demanded that sedition case against AMU students must be withdrawn.

"Pushing youth to the wall will be counter-productive. Centre must intervene in withdrawing cases against students & AMU authorities must revoke their suspension. The respective State governments outside JK should be sensitive to the situation?& prevent further alienation," Mehbooba had tweeted.

Former J&K chief minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah had lashed out at Mehbooba Mufti, accusing her of showing “fake sympathy” for Kashmiri students in AMU.

He had tweeted, “How short Ms Mufti's memory is! She forgets that she was the architect and beneficiary (it kept her allies in good humour) for her entire period in office. She is in no position to criticise anyone for 'relentless violence'.”