Students at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, intensified their ongoing protest by burning an effigy of Vice Chancellor Naima Khatoon. The demonstration, now in its fifth day, centers on demands for a rollback of a significant fee hike, the reinstatement of students' union elections—absent for eight years—and the removal of senior university officials allegedly responsible for the current crisis.

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), a national coalition of farmer organizations, announced its support for the students' cause. The SKM plans to amplify the students' grievances alongside farmers' issues during a 'Virodh Diwas' protest scheduled for Wednesday, opposing the privatization of electricity supply in Uttar Pradesh. Shashikant, a member of SKM’s national executive, called for an investigation into an alleged police crackdown on AMU students during a prayer gathering at the protest site on Friday.

Several opposition Members of Parliament have also voiced concerns, writing to Vice Chancellor Khatoon about the reported police actions on campus. On Tuesday, the students escalated their agitation by marching to the district collectorate in Aligarh, where they burned the effigy in a symbolic act of defiance. The protests highlight deep-seated grievances over university governance and financial policies, drawing broader support as tensions continue to rise.

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