Activists demand inquiry into police action against Jamia, AMU students

An alliance of civil society organisations and activists on Monday demanded a high-level judicial inquiry into the "police excesses" against students of the Jamia Millia Islamia and the Aligarh Muslim University.

Addressing a press conference here, members of the alliance also demanded that all cases registered against those protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act be unconditionally withdrawn and those arrested be immediately released.

"We have taken stock of the situation in a meeting. We are not looking for amendments, we want scrapping of CAA lock, stock and barrel," Ravi Nair, a member of the alliance, said.

Nair said it was good that some state government's were reconsidering their stand on the issue, adding that they should challenge the controversial law through relevant constitutional provisions.

The alliance also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "defending police excesses" and "not uttering a word on the deaths of protesters in various parts of the country".

It claimed that people were being "identified through their clothes and harassed".

The alliance said it had set up legal cells in every district to help those who have been detained unlawfully by police.