ISLAMABAD – Protests by students and others have erupted in manyuniversities across India, in support of their counterparts at Delhi’sJamia Millia Islamia after Sunday evening violence.
Police fired teargas shells and beat students inside the campus of Jamia –a central university — after students were protesting against the newcitizenship law, granting citizenship to non-Muslims from Pakistan,Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
Critics say the law discriminates against Muslims and is against secularprinciples of the constitution.
Jamia Millia Islamia, — located in southeast Delhi and founded by Dr.Mukhtar Ansari a century ago, soon after he returned India after leading amedical mission to treat wounded Turkish soldiers in the First Balkan War –witnessed widespread violence on Sunday evening.
By midnight, protests also spread to other Indian cities like Hyderabad,Varanasi, Kolkata, Puducherry, Lucknow and Mumbai, as students raised theirvoices against the alleged brutal police assault on Jamia students, localoutlet news18 reported.
The violence has left more than 125 students of the premier centraluniversity injured, the report said.
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In Delhi, thousands of people gathered outside the Delhi Policeheadquarters and shouted police “sharam karo (have shame),” after a protestcall by the Jawaharlal Nehru University students, it added.
A group of students on Monday stood shirtless in the bone-chilling coldoutside the Jamia gates to protest against the police action.
Vice Chancellor Najma Akhtar and Chief Proctor Waseem Ahmed Khan confirmedthat the police had entered into the campus, without their permission.
