Massive protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rocked the Osmania University and University of Hyderabad on Tuesday as the students took out torch rallies. Hundreds of students carrying torches in their hands came together at Arts College in Osmania University to demand rollback of the CAA and to call for boycott of the proposed National Register of Citizens.
Raising slogans against Modi government and carrying placards, the protestors marched on the campus. The protest brought together various student organisations and non-governmental groups. The protestors condemned the police brutality on students of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) and Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and demanded stringent action against the police personnel who entered the campuses. The placards carried slogans like “Reject CAA, boycott NRC” and “We want justice” .
”Mashal juloos” or torch procession was also taken out on the campus of University of Hyderabad with students and teachers coming together to protest. The students of the central university carrying torches marched on the campus, demanding complete rollback of CAA and rejecting an all India NRC. The students also demanded action against the Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Assam and other northeastern states” police for their barbaric assault in campuses and on the streets. The students claimed that they have been protesting against the act since the introduction of the Bill in Lok Sabha. Since the Jamia incident, they have protested thrice. Various students” organisation from the campus along with the faculties participated in the procession.
“For the polarisation of Hindu and Muslim, the Prime Minister in an election rally is giving statements like ”rioteers can be identified by their dress”, the Home Minister is saying that the people who are protesting belong to some political organisation…. this agitation is more than that,” said Abhishek Nandan, the students union President. Around 300 students and teachers marched together to show their solidarity with the students of various universities. The students burnt the effigy of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. “The government is failing to control the falling economy, unemployment… instead our Prime Minister and Home Minister are talking about Hindu Rashtra, they are doing aggressive campaign fighting students and people. They are trying to change the notion of secular republic in our Constitution. This CAA is against the Constitution,” said Abhishek Nandan.
