Bengaluru, Jan 7 (IANS): Hundreds of students and young professionals who gathered at a flash protest at Bengaluru’s Town Hall on Monday, condemned the Sunday night mob attack at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).
The protesters condemned the central government for atrocities against those who opposed the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) since the last one month.
"Hundreds of students from various colleges and universities skipped classes and descended at Town Hall in the city centre to protest against the central government and the Delhi police for the violence unleashed on JNU students and faculty on Sunday by goons," a member of the National Students of India (NSUI) told IANS here.
Pledging support to the students of JNU, the protesters demanded resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah, JNU VC Jagadesh Kumar and condemned the administration of JNU.
“Indians need to wake up before politicians hijack our democracy. This is a big alarm bell and we need to rise against this. If we don’t voice out today, it will impact the less privileged,” said actor Arundathi Nag who took part in the protest.
Accusing the Centre for not acting against the violence and vandalism by the right-wing groups, the students demanded that students should not be hurt. “Azadi, Azadi”, “We are the future of the country”, “Down Down ABVP, Amit Shah and BJP” were some of the slogans that were repeatedly chanted.
"The Modi government cannot suppress our voice. There is no place for goonda raj in democracy. The government should arrest the culprits behind the mayhem in JNU and take action against the Delhi police for failing to prevent violent attack on student leaders and their teachers," the member asserted.
Young professionals and civic and social activists from other organisations have also joined the students and expressed their solidarity with the JNU students and condemned the Delhi police for its inaction against the masked attackers.
"We are seeing a pattern in violent attacks against the student fraternity, which started from Aligarh Muslim University, spread to Jamia Millia University and now to JNU. If we don't protest and resist the anti-democratic actions of the NDA government, we will also not be spared soon," asserted the student leader.
Seeking the arrest of the perpetrators for the violence in the JNU campus, the students demanded the immediate repeal of the Citizen Amendment Act (CAA), which has caused unrest across the country and fear of being persecuted by the BJP-led NDA government for not toeing its right wing agenda.
Waving the tricolour, holding placards and singing patriotic and revolutionary songs, young men and women also took out a protest rally to freedom park and addressed the gathering against the violent attacks of students in AMU, Jamia, JNU and other universities across the country.
JNU Student Union leader Aishe Ghosh and faculty member Sucharita Sen were among the scores of youth who were injured in the violent attack on them by masked men and women.