[Reader-list] BJP poll ad tells lies about Jamia

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Jamia complains to EC over BJP ad
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.