Up in arms: A night of anger in universities as student protests rage across the country

Unclaimed motorcycles, shards of broken window glasses, stones and footwear littered the roads near south Delhi's Jamia university, which resembled a battle zone, after a protest against the amended citizenship law on Sunday afternoon turned violent.

Most residents were busy with their routine work, when unexpectedly they were caught in the middle of the agitation. The protesters indulged in arson, set on fire public and private vehicles and threw stones on police personnel, triggering a fierce clash between them on the streets.

Police had to resort to firing teargas shells and later they entered the university campus in search of those who might have sneaked there, leading to panic among the residents. Till late evening, Jamia Nagar resonated with loud bangs of teargas shells fired by police to push back the stone-pelting mob. Markets and shops including those near the campus such as Batla House, Okhla Head and Shaheen Bagh were shut and people preferred to stay indoors

Across the country, it was a night of anger, as protests raged against a slew of issues, the most prominent being the passage of the amended Citizenship Act. Here is what happened: 

Jamia Millia Islamia

Protesters torched four public buses and two police vehicles as they clashed with the police in New Friends Colony, near Jamia Millia Islamia, during a demonstration against the amended Citizenship Act on Sunday, leaving nearly 60 people including students, cops and fire fighters injured.

Police used batons and teargas shells to disperse the violent mob, but denied firing at them. However, videos of purported police firing, injured students in the university bathroom as well as footage of them bleeding emerged on the social media. But Delhi Police refuted reports of any casualty during the clashes.

Following the arson on roads, police entered the Jamia university campus, where tension prevailed as several persons were detained for alleged involvement in the violence.

50 students, who were detained during protests, were released in the early hours of Monday. Of the 50 students, 35 were released from the Kalkaji police station and 15 from the New Friends Colony police station. Earlier on Sunday night, the Delhi Minority Commission (DMC) issued a direction to the SHO of Kalkaji Police Station to release the "injured" Jamia students held there or take them for treatment at a reputed hospital without any delay.

Maulana Azad Urdu university

Protest raged at Moulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) in Hyderabad on Sunday night, as students were up in arms against the police action in the Jamia Millia Islamia University and the Aligarh Muslim University. Various organisations staged separate protests at Hyderabad on Sunday against amended Citizenship Act and NRC. Holding placards that read "Withdraw CAA Permanently", "Reject CAA and Boycott NRC", among others, the protesters, wearing black bands, waved black flags raised slogans. "A dharna was staged under the leadership of different organisations against the Citizenship Amendment Act," a protester said.

Jawaharlal Nehru University

Students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) held a protest outside the Police Headquarters in central Delhi against the police action at Jamia university and the standoff continued till late in the night on Sunday. This was a continuation of unrest in the university—over numerous issues ranging from curfews to student fees—over the past weeks.

On Saturday, JNU Vice-Chancellor Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar claimed that a group of 15-20 students surrounded him "in a violent manner" on the campus and abused and tried to attack him but the university security staff and police personnel rescued him. "When we were coming back, 15-20 students in a violent manner surrounded me with an intention to physically assault me. They were planning to attack me and were very abusive," he told PTI. However, the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union said the VC ran way when the students confronted him with questions on hike in hostel fees and accused him of spreading falsehood.

JNU has been seeing protests for one-and-a-half months over the increase in fee and students have boycotted exams over the issue. The protests had turned violent once, forcing the administration to roll back the hike partially, but the students say they want a complete rollback.

Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS)

TISS students have called for a boycott of classes to express solidarity with Jamia Milia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University, where students and police clashed in protests against the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act, NDTV reported. Scroll reported that the students took out candle light march singing the Urdu poem 'Sarfaroshi ki Tamanna' written by Bismil Azimabadi, used by revolutionaries such as Bhagat Singh who fought the British Empire. 

Aligarh Muslim University

The clashes at AMU started after an agitation by Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia students against the legislation turned violent and police used batons and tear gas to disperse them. Several students were injured in the national capital. The AMU students gathered at the Babey Sir Syed Gate and raised slogans against the police action on the demonstrators in Delhi. The students broke the police cordon and fought pitched battles with the police. 60 were reported injured. After the protest, the adminstration announced closure of the university till January 5. Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Registrar Abdul Hamid said the police entered the campus late Sunday night and clashes were reported from inside. "Hostels are being evacuated," he said. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath appealed to the residents of the state to maintain peace and harmony. "People should not pay attention to the rumours about Citizenship Amendment Act being spread by some vested interests," he was quoted as saying in a statement. Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said, "Section 144 of CrPC remains imposed in all districts of Uttar Pradesh since November 9".

Banaras Hindu University

Scenes of protests from Jamia

Protesters expressed solidarity with Jamia and AMU students outside Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi. “We protested against the CAA because it is against the Article 14 of the Constitution. The government should withdraw it. We are with the students of JMI and AMU who are raising voice against it,” said a student of BHU’s BA part one political science told Hindustan Times. 

Patna University

Students of the Patna University, youths from some neighbouring towns,  raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and vented their ire at the Citizenship Amendment Act which has put several parts of the country, including the national capital and the far-off north-east, on the boil. They also alleged that the legislation targeted Muslims" in the name of granting citizenship to immigrants belonging to other communities. Several police personnel were injured and an outpost and some vehicles were torched by a mob that turned violent while taking out a procession. Senior Superintendent of Police, Patna, Garima Malik said an FIR has been registered against the miscreants, who were being identified with the help of CCTV footage of the violence and arson that gripped the Kargil Chowk area of the city for close to an hour.

IIT Bombay

IIT Bombay students marched with torches and bearing placards which read, “In solidarity with Jamia”, Scroll reported. The students held a rally inside the campus and gathered outside a hostel, tearing a copy of the Citizenship Amendment Bill in protest, Mumbai Mirror reported. A joint statement, according to the publication from IIT Bombay student bodies demanded withdrawal of the law that was against secularism and any and all plans to register citizens on the basis of their nationality in the country.

-Inputs from PTI