Ayushmann Condemns Jamia Violence, Calls for ‘Ahimsa’

Ayushmann speaks up.

Ayushmann Khurrana speaks out against police brutality in Delhi.

(Photo Courtesy: Instagram)

Ayushmann Khurrana has taken to social media to condemn the police brutality against the students of Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi on 15 November. The Article 15 actor posted a note on Twitter saying that he felt “deeply disturbed.”

He wrote, “Deeply disturbed about what the students went through and I strongly condemn this. All of us have the right to protest and exercise our fundamental freedom of expression. However, protests also cannot turn violent and lead to destruction of public property. That simply is counterproductive. Dear countrymen, this is the land of Gandhi. Ahimsa is and should be the tool to express. Have faith in democracy.”

While Bollywood has largely been silent about the incident, Rajkummar Rao came out in support of Jamia students on Twitter. He took to Twitter and posted the following message:

“I strongly condemn the violence that the police have shown in dealing with the students. In a democracy the citizens have the right to peacefully protest.I also condemn any kind of act of destruction of the public properties. Violence is not the solution for anything!”

Hollywood actor John Cusack has also tweeted in solidarity with the protesters. The 2012 actor posted videos of the violence against students by the Delhi Police, and wrote, “Solidarity.” He has also shared photographs of California citizens protesting against the amended Citizenship Act.

As protests over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act rocked the national capital, with violence erupting at several places, Delhi Police on Sunday, 15 December, entered the campus of Jamia Millia Islamia university without permission and beat up students and staff, Waseem Ahmed Khan, Chief Proctor of the varsity told ANI.

As many as 50 students, who were detained during the protests, were released in the early hours of Monday, police said.

Of the 50 students, 35 were released from the Kalkaji police station and 15 were released from the station in New Friends Colony, a senior police officer said.