Strongly condemning the alleged police atrocities on students of Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University, college students of Dharwad took out a protest march here on Tuesday.
Students from different colleges of Dharwad took out the protest march under the aegis of All India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO) and condemned in strong words what they termed as police atrocities on peacefully protesting students.
The students congregated in front of Mallikarjun Mansur Kalabhavan and from there, they took out the protest march and returned to the originating point after covering Vivekananda Circle.
Holding placards condemning the attack on the students and highlighting the need for protecting the right to protest, the protesting students raised slogans against efforts to snub the voices of dissent using force.
Addressing the protesting students, Dharwad district president of AIDSO Mahanthesh Biloor said that it was highly condemnable that students protesting peacefully were targeted by the police, who, instead, should have taken action against those who indulged in arson.
Mr. Mahanthesh said that several students had been injured in the inhuman action by the police and the incident was a blot in the history of student protests.
He said that the whole development was nothing but an attempt to snub the students who had raised their voice against an unconstitutional Citizenship Amendment Act. “We the members of AIDSO support the students of both the universities in their fight against the unconstitutional Act and also stand with them for their right to protest,” he said.
AIDSO would also warn the Department of Police and the Union government against resorting to such dastardly acts to snub voices of dissent. The organisation would also urge the government to take immediate steps to arrest individuals who were involved in acts of arson and violence and also act against police officials responsible for the atrocities on students.
AIDSO would strongly condemn the Union government’s move to divide the country on the basis of religion through the Citizenship Amendment Act. The organisation would appeal to all, particularly the student community, to peacefully continue the protest against CAA, he said.
District secretary Ranajit Dhoopad said that there was a need for a united fight against the efforts to snub student protests and also the efforts to curtail the right to protest. AIDSO office-bearers Sindhu Koudi, Arun, Ashok, Sahana, Pradeep, Mahanthesh, Akshayata, Gangaraj and others led the protest.
