New citizenship law: Student outfits plan protests across Maharashtra against police action in Jamia

On Monday evening, the SFI led 400 students belonging to various communities for a protest inside the Dr Babsaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University in Aurangabad. Lokesh Kamble, Aurangabad president of SFI, said the students gathered near Dr Ambedkar’s statue and marched peacefully into the university campus. Various departments were forced shut by sloganeering protesters.

Kamble said though they had police permission for a protest, a few students were detained when protesters began to get restive, and were taken to Begumpura police station for a couple of hours.

“This was a student protest, in support of the protesting students in JMI, against police atrocities, and also against the NRC (National Register of Citizens) and the new citizenship law,” Kamble told The Indian Express.

Large groups of mostly Muslim protesters also staged demonstrations and rallies against the citizenship law across various towns, starting Friday (December 13). Most of these were organised by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, in Aurangabad, Latur and Nanded.

Also Read | Citizenship Law protests, Maharashtra: ‘We condemn the acts of violence by police. Why is the govt afraid of students?’

In Aurangabad’s Kannad town, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind’s Maulana Maimud Madani addressed a peaceful gathering of over 1,000 Muslim protesters on Saturday (December 14).

He said the new law and the proposed implementation of the NRC were not only anti-Muslim but also against India’s constitutional values.

Protesters in Kannad carried black flags and posters against the central government. The Jamiat also organised protests in Parbhani, Manwath and Jintur on Friday.

In Osmanabad, nearly 2,000 protesters gathered outside the office of the district collector on Saturday. Sloganeering protesters held up placards against the new citizenship law. Another group of protesters also gathered at the same location on Friday. In Latur, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind’s protest was a silent march that ended with a speech on the new law.

More protests are scheduled in the coming weeks. A ‘maha rally’ against the NRC and the citizenship law is planned for December 27 in Pune, with participation expected from various Muslim and secular organisations.

This rally will be coordinated by the Kul Jamati Tanzim, which is proposed from Golibar Maidan to the collector’s office. Dalit leader and legislator from Gujarat, Jignesh Mevani, will also take part in a protest at Dadar on Friday.

Congress stages sit-in at Nagpur

The Congress staged a sit-in against police action at Jamia Millia Islamia. The agitation was led by state Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue at Variety Square. “Delhi Police unleashed a brutal cane-charge on students peacefully protesting the Citizenship Amendment Act. There is anger all over the country against the police oppression. We denounce this oppression by the central government,” said Thorat.