Delhi University Arts Faculty students stage protest against CAA, NRC

Around 1,000 students along with some human rights groups protested against the new citizenship law and a possible nationwide NRC at the Delhi University's Faculty of Arts here on Wednesday, reading the preamble to the Constitution and singing the national anthem.

They took out a rally that passed through Ramjas College, KNC, Miranda House and returned to the Arts Faculty campus, where a public meeting and a demonstration were held beside the statue of Swami Vivekananda.

Posters with "Boomer Janta Party", "Hitler" and "CAA Murdabad" were seen around the campus as slogans of "Islamophobia" and "Modi-Shah Murdabad" rent the air.

Natasha Narwal, an alumna of the college, who represented women's collective Pinjra Tod, said teachers also lent support to the students in the protest.

"Many students and even teachers boycotted lectures in several colleges from St. Stephen's to Ramjas and Miranda House, and joined the protest. Teachers lending support to the movement is a remarkable move," she said.

The numbers swelled up fast as more students joined in.

There was heavy police presence at the entry gate of the campus, with women police officers forming a human chain barricading the entrance followed by male officers in a second line.

This was in addition to a company of CRPF deployed on the DU campus for the protests. The police set up checkpoints on all roads connecting the DU gates.

"This government came with the fake slogan of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'. It is least bothered about anyone's 'Vikas', all it wants is its own party's 'Vikas' at the cost of this country's youth, women, children, Constitution and law," Arts Faculty student Aditi Mehta said.

Ravish Alam of Rihai Manch said, "We are supporting students everywhere from UP to Delhi who are protesting against this draconian law. We came here to lend our support to DU students who have done a commendable job by staging a peaceful yet powerful protest."