NEW DELHI: Students of the Jamia Millia Islamia students continued their protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act, the National Population Register and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) for the 27th day.
They also extended support to the all-India strike called by major trade unions opposing the NDA government’s “anti-labour” policies.
Maulana Khalilur Rehman Sajjad Naumani, Islamic scholar and author, congratulated the protesters for their tenacity. “The common people, who elected the government to power, will bring in its inevitable downfall as well. This movement will usher in a revolution which will be remembered in the many years to come,” he said.
DMK MP M K Kanimozhi spoke of the “heart-rending” experience of visiting JNU campus and seeing the faces of students who were brutally attacked. The speakers including activists, teachers and politicians applauded the women sitting along with their children at Shaheen Bagh and also lauded the Bollywood celebrities who came forward in support of the students.
AIPWA Secretary Kavita Krishnan called the movement a “huge success”. “What was unimaginable a few months before has become our day-to-day reality – India’s people are out on streets against its government, one that won with such a huge mandate,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Jamia Coordination Committee condemned the attack on one of its members, Abudarda Ahmad Khan. “Abudarda was attacked by Noman Choudhary, Imran Choudhary (student pursuing M.Ed), Gufran and Shahid at Gate 18 of JMI. He was brutally injured and has sustained serious injuries. JCC condemns this attack in the strongest possible words,” JCC said. A complaint was initiated against the said “goons”, it added.