Hizbul Chief Confirms AMU Scholar Mannan Wani Joining Its Ranks

Wani has been suspended from AMU until further probe.

Photographs of AMU research scholar Mannan Wani holding an AK-47 assault riffle went viral on social media.

(Photo Courtesy: Facebook)

Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) scholar Mannan Wani has joined the Hizbul Mujahideen, the group's Pakistan-based chief Syed Salahuddin said in a statement to local media.

Joining of Mannan Wani exposes the Indian propaganda that the youths of Kashmir are joining militant ranks due to unemployment and economic distress.

Salahuddin, in a statement to a Srinagar-based news agency

"From years on, educated and qualified youths of Kashmir have been joining Hizbul Mujahideen to take this ongoing freedom movement to logical conclusion. This spirit of youths is laudable," Salahuddin said in the statement in Urdu.

The J&K police had launched a hunt for Wani after his photographs holding an AK-47 assault rifle surfaced on social media.

The message accompanying the photograph stated that Wani, son of Bashir Ahmad Wani and resident of Takipora village in Kupwara district, joined Hizbul Mujahideen on 5 January, reported The Indian Express.

"He was scheduled to return home four days back. But instead his pictures with an AK-47 reached the family," a police officer said on 7 January, 2018. The officer had added that efforts were on to trace and persuade the young man to return home.

Photographs of Mannan Wani that surfaced on social media.(Photo: Facebook)

After completing an MPhil in geology, Wani joined the Aligarh Muslim University where he was pursuing a PhD. The university expelled him on Monday, 8 January, and sealed his room, stating his alleged involvement in “highly objectionable activities, which can hamper the peaceful academic atmosphere and create disharmony” as the reason.

Professor M Mohsin Khan, proctor, AMU said, “Since Mannan Bashir Wani has breached the AMU Students’ Conduct and Discipline Rules, 1985, the matter was placed before the AMU Vice Chancellor Tariq Mansoor.”

We have also seen the picture on social networking sites. But we have no idea [whether he has joined militants or not]. We lost contact with him on 4 January, as his phone was switched off. We thought he had switched it off for some reason or lost it. As we couldn’t contact him, we lodged a missing report with police on Saturday.

Mubashir Ahmad, Wani’s brother

Wani’s brother said that he had left his home for Aligarh a month ago. “All this time, we thought he was in Aligarh. He would talk to us regularly. We don’t have any idea where he is,” he said.

The Indian Express also reported that Wani used to take keen interest in student politics and activism.

(With inputs from PTI)