CAA uproar: Swara Bhasker, Vir Das slam Delhi Police for Jamia violence; Chetan Bhagat questions decision-making

The Citizenship Amendment Act, which was passed by Rajya Sabha on December 11, does not seem to be received all that well by many citizens. The new Act has already sparked protests all over the country, and on Sunday, the national capital became the epicentre of protests.
After three days of peaceful demonstration at Jamia Milia Islamia University, the protest turned violent. When the protestors set public property ablaze, the Delhi Police intervened with batons and tear gas. They went on to enter the university campus and were also accused of beating up protestors before sealing the gates. The police's intervention left 60 injured, including students, cops and firefighters. Soon, videos of their 'shameful' actions surfaced on social media and drew criticism from netizens.

Celebrities, too, expressed concern for the affected students. Within a few hours, hashtags like #StandWithJamia became a top trend on Twitter.

The first few to tweet were former Indian pacer Irfan Pathan, actress Swara Bhasker and actor Farhan Akhtar.

Pathan, on the micro-blogging platform, did not pen a critical note for the Delhi Police. Instead, he expressed concern for the students of Jamia University.

"Political blame game will go on forever but I and our country is concerned about the students of #JamiaMilia #JamiaProtest," he wrote.



Bhasker, who often voices her concerns on Twitter on issues of national importance, retweeted a number of videos which featured the clash between Delhi police and students. The 'Tanu Weds Manu' actressed slammed the police for their 'shameful' conduct.


Actress Konkona Sensharma, too, sided with the students and criticised the police.



While other B-town and cricketing stars were busy siding with students, the 'Dil Dhadakne Do' actor was engaged in an unpleasant spat with a Twitter user. On Sunday, Akhtar was asked on Twitter to reach out to his Muslim counterparts to ask them to stop destroying the country's property while protesting against the Act. While responding to the same, the 45-year-old actor called the user a 'bigot'.



Director Mahesh Bhatt, too, joined the protest and said that the country belongs to everyone. While addressing a gathering, the 71-year-old said that the people coming together to protest is a proof of the fact that 'India's soul is alive'. While talking about the constitution, he encouraged the citizens to dedicate themselves to the India created by the predecessors.

Author Chetan Bhagat expressed disappointed among other things at the way things have panned out. On Twitter, he wrote that there are no Hindu or Muslim universities in the country. Instead, they are all Indian universities. He also slammed the 'decision-making process' in Parliament citing examples of Article 370 and Goods and Service Tax (GST).





Film producer Nikkhil Advani took a sarcastic dig at Mumbai's elite - and the way they changed the time, venue of the protest. He talked about how Bandra and Andheri residents are busy complaining about venue, Marine Drive, being too far.


Actor-comedian Vir Das, who also expresses his ideas often on the platform, seemed to offer an impartial point of view where he condemned setting public property on fire and the Delhi police's action at the same time. Through a series of tweets, he revealed that the internet should not be shut down. Instead, the tech medium can be used for non-violent discourse and debate. This way, he wrote, the country can have more of thinking and talking, and less of bleeding.



Meanwhile, actor Akshay Kumar, who is currently occupied with the promotions of his upcoming film 'Good Newwz', caught himself in mid of a controversy when he 'accidentally' liked a tweet linked to the Jamia protests. On Twitter, the 52-year-old clarified that he accidentally liked the tweet while scrolling through feed. He further said that he does not support any such act.



"Regarding the 'like' on the tweet of Jamia Milia students, it was by mistake. I was scrolling and accidentally it must have been pressed and when I realised I immediately unliked it as in no way do I support such acts," Kumar wrote.

Protesters in New Delhi, on Sunday afternoon, set four buses and two police vehicles ablaze during their clash with the cops in the New Friends Colony area. Following this, the Delhi Police resort to lathicharge to disperse the mob, leaving 60 injured.

The Delhi police then entered Jamia campus and detained several students for alleged involvement in violence. Students also claimed that the police fired tear gas and beat up protestors before sealing campus gates.