The district administration of Aligarh on Friday thwarted an attempt of a group of people from taking out an anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act march.
The protesters, led by Aligarh mayor Mohammad Furqan, tried to take out a procession from Shamshad Market to the collectorate complex but police blocked their passage.

Speaking to media persons, Furqan said, “We were exercising our democratic right to protest but police did not allow us to reach the Collectorate.” Meanwhile, Aligarh Muslim University officials said there was a “marked improvement” in attendance in all faculties on Friday.

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The varsity was closed early for winter vacations from December 16 last year, a day after students clashed with police during a protest against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) on campus. The university was to reopen on January 6 but the vacation was extended owing to persisting tension over the changes in the citizenship law.

Students have been boycotting classes seeking the withdrawal of “false cases” against those who took part in protests against the CAA on December 15. AMU Vice-Chancellor Professor Tariq Mansoor has sanctioned a grant of Rs 1,50,000 each to two students who were seriously injured in the police action on December 15 last year, AMU spokesman Omar Peerzada said. This decision was taken on the recommendation of a committee which had been constituted to decide compensation for the injured students, he said.

The vice-chancellor also constituted a seven-member committee to look into FIRs lodged against AMU students during the anti-CAA protests which began in the campus from December 13. The committee is headed by Professor Najam Khalique of Department of Community Medicine, Peerzada said.

A senior university official said one of the demands of the protesting students was to give permanent employment in the teaching staff to a student who had lost his hand in the December 15 violence.

“We have already decided to give an ad-hoc appointment. There is a procedure for making permanent appointments and we have paved the way for this appointment which would be done under the category of physically handicapped applicants,” he said.