Rabeeha Abdurehim is the latest victim of religious persecution where, being a gold medalist in her postgraduate degree in mass communication at Pondicherry University, she was not permitted to attend the 27th convocation of the university on Monday just because of she refused to remove her hijab. The Authorities had removed her from the hall while President Ram Nath Kovind was present at the ceremony and she was later let into the hall once the President left the university after conferring the gold medals and certificates to a few students in which Rabeeha was not called off, despite securing the first rank.

Rabeeha is pursuing her Masters in Mass Communication where she secured the first rank in 2018 batch and after she has been reportedly pushed out from the auditorium due to wearing Hijab, she rejected her medal with the view of voicing against the authorities to deny her the permission to attend the convocation while the President was present. The reports say that she also registered her protest against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act, the National Register of Citizens, and the National Population Register.

The reports stated that she reached the convocation venue and she was wearing a hijab following which a team of security personnel directed her to remove the hijab before the arrival of the President and when she refused to remove her hijab, she was removed from the ceremony until the President was present and she was permitted only after the President had left the premises.

After the departure of the President, the other dignitaries were presenting the awards and the certificates and while Rabeeha was called to the stage, she collected the certificate but refused to collect the medal. Rabeeha, a native of Kerala, had alleged that she was reportedly pushed out of the convocation for not removing the Hijab and by stating that she rejected the medal to voice against the untoward incident, she also cited that she refused to take the medal with the view of extending solidarity to the students and Indians who have been protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

She further expressed that being an educated youth, the students have to hold a strong stand. She accused the police of using excessive force against the students who are protesting peacefully against the fascist regime at the Center. The convocation ceremony was attended by Puducherry Governor Kiran Bedi and Puducherry Chief Minister Narayanaswamy.