Hundreds of students from various universities, including Delhi University, Jamia Millia Islamia, and Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) in Hyderabad, expressed their opposition to the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) as they conducted protests inside the campuses on Tuesday.
The student protest at Delhi University encountered police actions, detentions, and instances of police manhandling.
Delhi University: Detained, manhandled by Delhi Police
More than 100 students were detained by the Delhi Police from the Arts Faculty of Delhi University for protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act on Tuesday. All were released hours after the detention.
Earlier, the detained students alleged that were taken to unknown locations by different police vehicles.
Cops tore the clothes and Hijabs of the women protestors and they were beaten up brutally and dragged, the students alleged.
The students who participated in the protests are part of different student outfits including the Muslim Students Federation, Students Islamic Organisation of India, All India Students Association, Fraternity Movement, and Bhagat Singh Chatra Ekta Manch.
Protestors also raised slogans such as, “CAA down-down and Police tera naam Islamophobia” when they were being detained.
Baadal, one of the protesting students associated with BSCEM who was detained by the Delhi Police told Maktoob, “Police have brutally attacked the students, specifically women. They tore our clothes and threw explicit slurs on us calling us – r**di k bacche (Children of a prostitute).”
She alleged that while they were being manhandled police also tried to touch their private parts.
She said, “Since the protestors were in large numbers, we refused to enter the Burari Police Station where they took us after detaining, but couldn’t get us inside. We marched and registered our peaceful protest against the unconstitutional CAA right outside the police station.”
When asked about the intent of the protest, Baadal said, “We in any case won’t let this law be implemented, which is fascist in nature. Whenever there will be any attempt to implement this, we will resist and reject it.”
She also said, “The fact it is being done on the first day of Ramadan shows its discriminatory nature towards Muslims and this is a tactic to appease masses, which is Hindu majority right before the general elections 2024 and establish that the regime is anti-Muslim and anti-minority.”
Nawaar Elaf, a computer Science student at DU and a member of Fraternity Movement told Maktoob, “ Delhi police and the university guards were already there even before we started the protest. As soon as we gathered they started dragging and picking each one of us.”
“Police snatched the Hijab of Muslim protestors and ripped their clothes,” he alleged.
Jamia Millia Islamia resists CAA, students conduct press conference in campus
Students of Jamia Millia Islamia on Tuesday organised a press conference at Gate number 7 of the varsity opposing the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act.
Heavy police deployment was seen outside Gate number 7. Criticising the Union government’s move to notify the CAA rules, the students maintained that it is a desperate effort of the Indian state to transform the country into a fascist Hindu Rashtra.
Addressing the gathering, Fraternity Movement’s campus unit general secretary Alfauz said, “The issue here is not focusing more on the content of the rules because, ultimately, it is for the purpose of implementing Citizenship Amendment Act, which in itself is patently unjust, discriminatory and divisive, and was opposed four years back as well.”
Alfauz said, “The implementation of the CAA at this time is a clear tactic being used by the Modi Government for polarisation and to gather more votes in the name of Hindutva before the upcoming 2024 General Elections.”
The students strongly maintained at the press conference that they are outrightly condemning “the anti-Muslim, undemocratic and outrightly fascist law and the government’s decision to implement this law.”
The students also vowed to continue uniting the people against the CAA, NRC and NPR.
They also made three major demands which included repeal of CAA, release of all students booked in the anti-CAA movement and withdrawal of all the cases charged against the students and the people and demilitarisation of the university campuses.
The press conference was collectively called and joined by student outfits including AIRSO, AISA, Collective, CRJD, DISSC, Fraternity Movement, MSF, SFD, SFI and SIO.
Protest gathering at MAANU Hyderabad
Students of Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) in Hyderabad registering their opposition to implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), protested inside the varsity on Tuesday.
Addressing the students on campus, the president of MANUU Students’s union, Mateen Ashraf said, “As a collective voice of the students, we firmly stand for the principles of justice, equality, and secularism. We reiterate our commitment to protecting the constitutional values that uphold the diversity and pluralism of our great nation.”
Speaking to Maktoob, Ashraf said, “We believe that any legislation that discriminates based on religion goes against the principles of equality and social justice and CAA is inherently structured in a way to discriminate Muslims and push them to be second-class citizens and hence the opposition.”
He added, “Our opposition to the CAA under the Hindutva framework is rooted in our commitment to safeguarding the rights of every citizen, irrespective of their religious background. We believe that any legislation that discriminates based on religion goes against the principles of equality and social justice.”
Talha Mannan, a student at MANUU and member of the Students Islamic Organisation of India told Maktoob, “CAA in its every form is unjust, discriminatory and unconstitutional. We are opposing it because we believe in preserving the secular ethos enshrined in our constitution and we recognize the significance of maintaining a harmonious and inclusive society that celebrates diversity.”
“Through opposition to CAA we are also challenging the idea of Hindu Rashtra, that establishment is trying to impose, so that the nation can remain a peaceful place to live for every citizen irrespective of the religion”, said Mannan.
Night vigil protests at Pondicherry University and University of Hyderabad on Monday
Students of Hyderabad Central University chanted “down down Islamophobia” as they protested against the controversial CAA on Monday night.
Various student groups, including ASA, BSF, AISA, NSUI, Fraternity, and SIO, came together to express their anger towards discriminatory law during protest.
In Pondicherry University, Fraternity Movement has organised a flash protest hours after the Union government’s notification came.
Students protest by burning the CAA rules. They called CAA as a part of “state’s agenda in dehumanising an entire community.”
 in Hyderabad, expressed their opposition to the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) as they conducted protests inside the campuses on Tuesday.){kind=link}