Police book cases against University of Hyderabad students for CAA, NRC protests
Hyderabad: The police lathi-charged University of Hyderabad students at 3 am on Monday when they were protesting against the CAA at the Tolichowki crossroads and took 61 of them into preventive custody. The students had gathered at about 10 pm on Sunday, and the size of the crowd was growing.
A flash mob of about 100 students and others gathered at the Tolichowki crossroads to protest the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NCR), and National Population Register (NPA). By about 3 am on Monday, more people had joined them. They chanted slogans like, ‘We don’t accept CAA, NRC, NPR’ and held placards of a like kind.
The police then lathi-charged and dispersed the protesters. Later, 61 students were taken into preventive custody. Those booked included socio-political activist Khaled Parveen and HCU students Sebba, Das and Namrata. The police excuse was that they caused public nuisance and inconvenience to passersby and blocked traffic towards Mehdipatnam and Raidurgam.
Students who were detained were booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code. “This was a peaceful protest. We did not create any traffic issues. Protesting is our right and I don’t know why the police is unnecessarily coming up with such moves,” said a protester.
Inspector K. Chandra Shekar Reddy of the Golconda police said the police had booked cases of ‘unlawful assembly, wrongfully restraining others and public nuisance’.
Dr Talha Fayiazuddin, state president, Students Islamic Organisation, condemned the government for trying to curb peaceful protests against the CAA-NRC-NPR. Dr Talha also questioned the detention of many students and youth while they were peacefully protesting.
Ms Parveen was warned by the police at her office on Monday not to assemble and gather people. She has been active in organising midnight flash protests by women in Tolichowki and Mehdipatnam.
There were two protests organised last week and a majority of the women sat till late night. This has angered the police who has now slapped cases and stopped her activities.
