Citizenship Act: Jamia Millia Islamia Students Stage Fresh Protest Outside University Campus

Jamia Millia Islamia students on Saturday staged a demonstration outside the university campus against the amended citizenship law. Jamia Millia Islamia has been at the forefront of the protest against the citizenship law. This is the fifth day of protests outside the university after more than 50 Jamia students were injured in a police crackdown following violence during a demonstration on Sunday.

The demonstration, started by woman students of the university, was later joined by its male students. Many former students as well as some "outsiders" also joined the demonstration. They raised slogans such as "Ladke Lenge Azadi" and "Inquilab Zindabad" as women students specifically asked protesters not to use abusive or unparliamentary language. The protesters, including university students, locals and children, took out a march carrying posters, banners and tricolours. The organisers warned the protesters against using "negative" slogans against anyone.

Participating in the protest, a 76-year-old woman, Nafiz Ikram said, "You all are leading a movement against what is wrong. Don't step back. Don't get scared of police. You are the real police who are fighting to protect our Constitution".

A protester, who had come from Bihar to join the protest, said, "The rich have proof of their identity or they will procure it somehow. How will the labourers and workers, who migrate from UP and Bihar, manage to get the proof?"

Some former students of the university came to the spot with their children.

"I am with students of this country. What happened at Jamia Millia last week was unpardonable. My son is here carrying a poster and I want my son to grow up in a secular nation and not a biased country," said an alumnus, who had brought his five-year-old son to the protest venue.

Some protesters donned white caps with "No CAA, No NRC" written on them. They claimed that local AAP MLA and Delhi minister Amanatullah got those caps manufactured.

Posters of all sizes and colours, opposing the new citizenship law and NRC and underlining the spirit of secularism and unity covered the boundaries of Jamia Millia Islamia. E-rickshaws, motorcycles, cars and vans plied on the roads with anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act and anti-NRC posters pasted on them.

The protesters formed human chains on both the sides of the roads to ensure that traffic movement was not affected. Some locals fed biryani to the protesters while some brought refreshment like samosas, sandwiches, bananas, biscuits and oranges for them.

Residents in the area were seen distributing pamphlets urging protesters to not indulge in violence. Anger against Delhi Police continued to simmer among the protesters with banners being held up high and sloganeering becoming louder whenever a police vehicle drove through the area. 

(With PTI Inputs)