NEW DELHI — Hours after the Government of India (GoI) notified the rules of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), protests erupted on the Jamia Millia Islamia Campus while the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) issued an advisory appealing to students to remain vigilant and maintain peace and harmony on campus, PTI reported.
A group of students led by the Muslim Students Federation (MSF) raised slogans against the Modi government and the Delhi Police. The Congress-affiliated National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) also opposed the implementation of the Act. A video surfaced that shows a group of students holding posters and banners gathered on the Jamia campus raising slogans against the CAA and the NRC (National Register of Citizens).
A senior police officer said the security around the Jamia campus has been beefed up to prevent any further gathering outside the campus.
“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,” PTI quoted Jamia Acting Vice-Chancellor Eqbal Hussain as having said.
“NSUI Jamia Millia Islamia protests against the decision of the Central government to implement the unconstitutional CAA,” a statement by NSUI’s Jamia unit said. To register their protest, Jamia NSUI president N S Abdul Hameed and vice president Dibya Jyoti Tripathy organised an event for reading of Constitution’s preamble.
The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has issued an advisory for its students, asking them to remain vigilant and maintain peace and harmony on the campus in view of the ongoing students’ election process.
The advisory came hours after the Centre implemented the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 on Monday, notifying the rules four years after the contentious law was passed.
“In view of the ongoing students’ election process on campus and various events being organised by the student bodies, all stakeholders of the campus are appealed to remain vigilant and contribute to maintaining peace and harmony on campus,” the advisory released late in the evening said without mentioning if it was released in connection with the Centre’s move.
“The administration firmly reiterates its commitment to zero tolerance towards any form of violence or indiscipline on campus and appeals to all stakeholders of the campus to desist from all such activities,” it added.
After the CAA rules were notified on Monday, protests erupted on the Jamia Millia Islamia campus, leading to a heavy police deployment at the university.