In Chennai, students of Loyola college, IIT-Madras, Mohammad Sathak College, Madras University, and the Students Federation of India (SFI) have all come out in protest of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), and in solidarity with the students of Jamia Millia Islamia University. Protests have also been announced by DMDK founder Vaiko.
The ruling AIADMK government had voted in support of the Bill.
DMK, the chief opposition party, and a number of other individuals and groups across Tamil Nadu have condemned this move because of the fact that Sri Lankan Tamils were not included as Indian citizens.
IIT-M Students Issue Statement
The purpose of student protests across Chennai are in solidarity with fellow students in Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia and AMU, to condemn police brutality and anti-CAA violence. To this end, the students’ collective has also issued a statement.
“We, the students collective of IIT Madras register our protest against the brutal crackdown by police on the student protests happening all over the country, stand in solidarity with the students of JMI and AMU whose campuses have been occupied by uniformed men in khakis. We believe Home Minister Amit Shah should take moral responsibility for these reprehensible acts and resign immediately. We understand that the fascist terror unleashed by the central government is to quell the voices arising against the unconstitutional CAA and the communal NRC. We reject the Islamophobic CAA and NRC unconditionally and call upon all students, youth, and people living in this country to take to the streets and democratically protest. Long Live Students’ Unity!”Students Collective of IIT Madras
'CAA and NRC All About Islamophobia'
‘An equal state with no religious persecution, and no discrimination on the basis of religion’: This is what students across universities in Chennai have been sloganeering for. The Citizenship Amendment Act has been touted to be the implementation of an RSS agenda, on religious grounds.
Kamal Haasan’s MNM Reacts
Kamal Haasan’s party Makkal Neethi Maiyam has put out a circular stating that it has appealed to the Supreme Court to stay the CAA, and that it will explore every legal recourse possible to put an end to the Act.
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