By Anand Singh
New Delhi, Dec 17 (IANS) As the students protest over the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 of Jamia Millia Islamia University entered the fourth day on Tuesday, Imams of local mosques came out in favour of the students condemning the police atrocity against those demanding answers from Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the action taken on Sunday.
Mohammad Yakub, Imam of Khalliullah mosque at Batla House told IANS: “Today the police arrested 10 people, who were not part of the university for the violence and rioting on Sunday. Now the police should tell us why those people have been arrested.”
He said: “Police should tell why did they beat the students, who were studying silently in the library and even girls were not spared.”
Attacking Shah, Mohammad Yakub said that the question needed to be asked as one would like to know “what were the orders”.
“Amit Shah must answer what orders he gave the police against the students who were protesting?
“Shah must ask the police officials why they assaulted the students who were studying in library — as Delhi Police comes under Home Ministry.”
His remarks came after the Delhi Police arrested 10 people for arson and violence and torching of buses.
According to the police, the arrested accused were not from the Jamia Millia Islamia and were bad characters.
On Sunday, the protest took a violent turn as five buses were torched. However, the Jamia Millia students refuted the claims that students were involved in violent protests.
Faraz Khan, a student pursuing Masters degree at the varsity who was also injured said, “The answers about the arrests will be given by the Home Ministry because police comes under them. And the biggest question that arises here is that an university which is considered a neutral place and is an example of peace was targeted.
Khan further stressed that “education is a constitutional right” and Jamia Millia from where the Boycott India movement started in 1920, the police forces have never entered the campus since then.
“Who allowed police to fire tear gas shell in library where we were studying peacefully and have nothing to take with the protests going outside the campus?” he asked.
“The police ruined the history of Jamia Millia which has always stood for the pluralism of the country,” he added.
Another Imam told IANS: “Students have support to tell the entire country that the freedom fighters and BR Ambedkar who framed the Constiturion of the country giving respect to every religion is now being subverted.
“And now by bringing the CAA and National Registrar of citizen s (NRC) the government is diluting the Indian Constitution and are destroying the soul of India which has unity in diversity,” he said.
He further demanded that an inquiry be conducted into the incident.
(Anand Singh can be contacted at [email protected])
–IANS
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