AMU protests: Students block four entry gates, proctor says ‘outsider’ detained from hostel

Tensions mounted at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) following a protest over the delayed holding of student union elections, officials reported. The unrest intensified on Saturday evening (October 3, 2026) when students attempted to breach all four campus entrances, according to the university's proctor. Protesters claimed that the police had detained four students from MM Hall's hostel, alleging the presence of external elements.

The proctor affirmed that the university had no involvement in the police raid. The blocked gates were liberated by university security early on the morning of October 4, 2026. The protest, which commenced on September 21, 2026, incorporates an indefinite hunger strike by suspended postgraduate student Yasir Fahad. The protesters are advocating for the long-overdue elections to the students' union.

Proctor Naved Khan disclosed that a police investigation had identified the suspect as an outsider with dubious credentials, who was wanted in a prior case. Three of the four detained students were found to be bona fide, while the fourth was released. Khan dismissed accusations that university officials had encouraged the police to detain students to hinder the ongoing protest, calling the claim "totally false" and asserting that the police acted independently on information about potential criminal elements attempting to exploit the campus situation.

Rising tensions also emerged due to concerns over the health of Yasir Fahad, who has been on an indefinite hunger strike for 12 days, demanding the restoration of the students' union. Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad expressed solidarity with the students' demand for elections, urging the university to engage in immediate dialogue with the protesters.

The Teachers' Association (AMUTA) secretary, Ashraf Mateen, wrote to Vice-Chancellor Naima Khatoon, calling for prompt action to hold elections for teachers' representation in the University Court, Executive Council, and Academic Council, stating that such elections had been overdue for a long time.