Times of India
17 Nov 2008, 1936 hrs IST, PTI
NEW DELHI: Jamia Millia Islamia has approached the Election Commission against an advertisement by the BJP accusing the varsity of spending its funds to "defend" terror suspects.
In its letter to Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami, Jamia vice-chancellor Mushirul Hasan denied using any funds for defending the terror accused and said that the advertisement was a "deliberate distortion of facts".
"Jamia has not spent a single paise from its resources on the two students implicated in the Batla House incident," Hassan said in the letter.
The advertisement referring to the varsity was "based on false information", he said.
Earlier, the varsity had established a special fund, raised through the money donated by students and faculty, for providing legal aid to two of its students — Zia-ur-Rehman and Mohammad Shakil — who were arrested by Delhi Police in connection with September 13 serial blasts in the capital.
The arrests had come close on the heels of Batla House encounter in the close vicinity of the institution.
The decision to extend legal help to its students was taken as it felt that it was their "moral obligation" to protect its students until they are proved guilty by the court of law, the varsity had said.
Referring to the incident, the BJP had given an advertisement in newspapers which criticises Congress for wooing voters by allowing Jamia to spend its funds in protecting terrorists.
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