The Chennai police department had, on Wednesday night, detained the batch of students of the Madras University who were camping series of protests in the premises against the amendment of the Citizenship law. After being detained, they were allegedly brought outside of the premises taken to Triplicane police station which is close to the university and hours later they were acquitted after the police had obtained their names at the station.

The detention by the police department has come when the students marked their third straight day of protests on the campus with the motive of urging the government to annul the proposed and enacted amendment and they have been unanimously extending their support and solidarity to the students of Jamia Millia University, Delhi where the Delhi police department had allegedly suppressed the students that had led for fierce clashes in the capital.

It has been reported that it was the second episode of detention carried out by the Chennai police in the past three days where on Tuesday night, the police took two students of the Madras University for interrogations under the accusations of agitating the students of the affiliated colleges to unite with the students of Madras University to enhance the voices and the protests. Similarly, the state and the capital city have been witnessing the protests and huge uproar in the colleges across the state.

In line with the students of Madras University, the campuses of New college in Chennai and the colleges in Tiruchy district had hosted its grounds for the protests. The students of the Bharathiyar University of Coimbatore who staged a protest were removed from the premises in the wake of the convocation ceremony for which State Governor Banwarilal Purohit was invited. On Tuesday, actor turned politician and chief of Makkal Needhi Maiam Kamal Haasan had met with the protesting students of the Madras University and he was seen speaking with them in front of the main gate of the premises after the police had barred his entry. 

While speaking to the reporters, he said that he was not allowed to meet the students and stated that he visited the university to defend the students. By joining the students to urge the government to revoke the amendment, he branded the amendment as autocratic and draconian. On the other hand, the state had deployed hundreds of police personnel to the colleges and institutions which were protesting across the territory and the police department has claimed that they have been stationed in the premises of the institutions to ensure the safety of the students. In the wake of the unrest, the management of Madras University had declared holidays till December 23rd. 

The state of Tamil Nadu has been echoing the stir and unrest that have been prevailing across the nation and the students of most of the reputed institutions around India have been expressing their anxiety and uproar against the biased and handicapped amendment of Citizenship Bill that determines and grants the citizenship based on the religion by reportedly suppressing and ignoring the minorities. Last week, the bill was enacted into the law after the consent of the President and earlier the bill had come through the clear and lenient passage in both chambers of the Parliament amidst the heated outcry from the opposition parties.

Also read: https://www.thenewstuff.in/students-protest-solidarity-deepens-so-does-uproar-and-unrest