A fresh wave of protests erupted at the Jamia Millia Islamia campus in Delhi on 11th March, following the notification of the rules for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) by the Government of India. The Muslim Students Federation (MSF) and Congress-affiliated National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) led the student protests at the campus, denouncing the implementation of the CAA rules.
Acting Vice Chancellor Eqbal Hussain made it clear that no protests would be allowed on the campus, stating, “We have tightened security arrangements to avoid any kind of agitation on the campus. No protest against the CAA will be allowed by students or outsiders near the campus.” Delhi Police were deployed in large numbers to maintain law and order on the campus.
MSF shared videos and photographs of the protest on social media, condemning the government’s move to implement the “divisive and Islamophobic act of CAA.” NSUI also protested against the decision, with its president Varun Choudhary calling CAA a “farce” and claiming that the rules were notified to divert attention from “real issues.”
It is noteworthy that NSUI was involved in the protests at Jamia in December 2019 when the law was originally passed, leading to violent incidents on the campus. During that time, an investigation revealed that the now-banned organization Popular Front of India (PFI) had also played a role in the protests, with its members hiding in the Jamia area before the demonstrations.
The issuance of the CAA rules by the government is expected to pave the way for persecuted minorities from neighboring Muslim-majority nations to obtain Indian citizenship. However, the protests at Jamia signify continued opposition to the controversial law.
Image Source: Opindia
