Gathering at Pune varsity condemns CAA; expresses solidarity with Jamia students

Students from the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), city colleges and people from various organisations gathered inside the university campus on Monday evening to condemn the Delhi police action on Jamia Millia Islamia University students, the enactment of the Citizens (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA), and the National Register for Citizens (NRC) brought by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.

Under the auspices of ‘NRC Virodhi Sangharsh Kruti Samiti’, the gathering of more than 300 people held a protest rally near Aniket canteen.

Slogans were raised against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah and placards expressing their strong anti-government sentiments were displayed by the students.

Student leaders spoke at the gathering and gave vent to their feelings.

Sandeep Barve from Yuvak Kranti Dal, said, “We all are followers of the Indian Constitution and we will protest within the framework of the Constitution.” He compared the situation to the rule of the British in the pre-Independence era and said the time had come for students to come together and protest against the BJP government.

Two alumni from the Jamia University, Mohammad Bilal and Talha Javed of the 2016 batch of mechanical engineering, were also present for the protest.

Bilal said, “It is not basically about any university; we all need to protest against the CAA and the NRC.”

He said that the attack by the police inside Jamia University was brutal and this had been captured by videos taken by students. Another protest by alumni of Jamia students in Pune has been planned on Tuesday at the Pune district collectorate.

The students said that since they could not go to Delhi to express solidarity, “we will give our support from here in Pune in all possible ways.”

Satish Gore, youth Congress state secretary, said, “This fight is against fascism and communalism.”