Chennai police on Tuesday evening entered the Madras University campus to thwart a students' protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act and alleged police brutality against students in Delhi.
According to reports, about 100 students from various parts of the city gathered at Madras University's Marina Campus. Terming the new law as “discriminatory and divisive”, they staged a demonstration and shouted slogans against the Narendra Modi government.
The university has announced holidays till December 23.
The police action came even as intense protests against the legislation are sweeping through campuses across the country.
On Sunday, police entered the campuses of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) and Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and used force to quell student protests against the amended Citizenship Act.
The police action drew widespread outrage with the opposition parties meeting President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday and demanding a judicial probe.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was approved by both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, and became an Act after President Ram Nath Kovind gave assent to it on Thursday night.
According to the legislation, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, till December 31, 2014 facing religious persecution there, will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship.
The opposition parties, activists and students unions have been opposing the Act, alleging that it discriminates on the basis of religion.