Archive · 4 Oct 2026
AMU Students Block Gates Over Long-Delayed Union Elections
Students at Aligarh Muslim University want their student-union elections to be held again.
They have been protesting since September 21, and some blocked all four campus gates on Saturday evening.
University security reopened the gates early Sunday.
The university’s proctor said police searched a hostel after receiving information about outsiders staying there.
He said three students were released and a fourth person was taken into custody and sent to jail.
The proctor denied that the university had asked police to disrupt the protest.
Student Yasir Fahad was continuing an indefinite hunger strike for the elections.
Chandrashekhar Azad supported the students and asked university leaders to talk with them.
Protesting students blocked all four Aligarh Muslim University entry gates on Saturday evening; university security reopened them early Sunday.
The agitation, which began September 21, demands student-union elections that have not been held for nearly eight years.
Proctor Naved Khan said police detained four hostel occupants: three students were released, while a person he described as an outsider was jailed.
Khan denied that university authorities had asked police to detain students, saying police acted on their own information.
Suspended postgraduate student Yasir Fahad was on an indefinite hunger strike, while Chandrashekhar Azad backed the election demand and urged dialogue.
- Who
- Protesting Aligarh Muslim University students, including hunger-striking student Yasir Fahad; university proctor Naved Khan also commented on the police action.
- What
- Students blocked all four campus gates during a protest demanding student-union elections; the proctor reported that police detained one person from a hostel.
- When
- The protest began September 21; the gates were blocked Saturday evening and reopened early Sunday morning. The report is dated October 4.
- Where
- Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh.
- Why
- Students are demanding student-union elections, which have not been held for nearly eight years.
Protesters and supporters
University proctor
Student-union elections
Protesters and supporters
Protesters demand that student-union elections be held; Chandrashekhar Azad backed the demand and called for dialogue.
University proctor
The proctor’s account did not state a position on whether elections should be held.
University role in police action
Protesters and supporters
Some protesters alleged that university authorities had asked police to detain students to disrupt the agitation.
University proctor
Proctor Naved Khan called that allegation false and said police acted on their own information about alleged criminal elements.
- University
- Aligarh Muslim University (AMU)
- Protest began
- September 21
- Main demand
- Student-union elections
- Election gap
- Nearly eight years
- Campus gates blocked
- All four; reopened early Sunday morning
- Hostel detentions
- Three students were released; one person described by the proctor as an outsider was taken into custody and sent to jail
- Hunger strike
- Yasir Fahad was on an indefinite hunger strike