Aligarh: The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), which was mired in controversy after a ‘Tiranga yatra’ taken out three days back, celebrated the Republic Day on Saturday with much fervour and enthusiasm.
The National flag was seen all over the varsity campus where a parade by NCC cadets was also held.
In his address on the occasion AMU Vice Chancellor, Professor Tariq Mansoor hailed the country’s secularism and tolerance, describing these as the cornerstone of the Indian culture.
“The vision of secularism-‘Sarwa Dharma Sambhava’ (tolerance for all religions) has always been the cornerstone of the Indian culture and it is an indisputable fact that hundreds of millions of Indians belonging to diverse religions lived in peace and comity through the ages,” the Vice-Chancellor said.
“On this auspicious occasion, we salute our National Flag, that symbolises of our national pride and we fondly remember and pay fragrant tributes to Bharat Ratna, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, India’s first Law Minister and the principal architect of the Constitution of India. India’s pluralism and its social, cultural, linguistic and religious diversity are its greatest strength,” he added.
Mansoor also said, “AMU’s founder, Syed Ahmad Khan’s concept of nation was inextricably linked with secularism and religious unity. AMU has consistently adhered to the vision of its founder and does no discrimination between any religion, caste or creed. We at AMU are committed to the preservation and protection of our minority character and historical legacy and the University is consistently forging ahead on the path of progress and all-round development.”
The celebrations come days after the university had issued a show-cause notice to two of its student leaders for taking out ‘Tiranga Yatra’ on bikes inside the campus. The notice stated that permission was not granted to the students for the same. The AMU has made it mandatory to seek official permission for processions.
However, later it was clarified that the notice was not issued for holding the ‘Tiranga Yatra’.
[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]