'Hollow Dictatorship': Priyanka Gandhi On Crackdown Against Students Opposing Citizenship Act

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi on Sunday slammed the Narendra Modi government over the police crackdown against students in Delhi, who were protesting against the Citizenship Act. Gandhi said that the government was being "cowardly" as it feared to hear the voice of people and was making its presence felt through "oppression" on students and journalists.

In a tweet late on Sunday night, the Congress leader said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have to listen to the voice of the youth sooner than later as his government was trying to suppress their voice and courage with its "hollow dictatorship".

"Students are being beaten by sneaking into universities of the country. At a time when the government should listen to the people, the BJP government that time is making its presence felt in the North East, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi through oppression on students and journalists. This government is cowardly," the Congress general secretary said, using the hashtag "Shame".

"Modi ji do hear out that this is the Indian youth, it will not be suppressed and you will have to listen to their voice sooner than later," Priyanka Gandhi said. Jamia Millia Islamia, the prestigious Central University, became the epicentre of Delhi Police’s brutal crackdown against Citizenship Act protesters on Sunday. The policemen can be seen beating and thrashing the protesters black and blue.

Also Read | Citizenship 'Chaos': Jamia Crackdown Triggers Massive Protests In Hyderabad, Varanasi, Jadavpur

While situation remains calm-yet-tense in this posh south Delhi locality, the police action has triggered massive protests by students across India. From Kolkata’s Jadavpur University to Hyderabad’s Maulana Azad National Urdu University, students have begun their agitation against the authorities.

While the Delhi Police maintains that the action was needed to curb the violence as stones were being pelted on them from inside the university, the students claimed that tear gas was lobbed inside the Jamia’s central library and some of them were dragged, thrashed by the cops.

The Controversial Citizenship Act, that grants Indian citizenship to illegal non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, have triggered a wave of violent protests across the country. From northeastern states to Tamil Naud, people are coming out on streets demanding the act be revoked in toto.