Police crackdown on Jamia students an attack on soul of nation, says Priyanka after dharna at India Gate

Accompanied by senior Congress leaders and thousands of Congress activists, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi held a two-hour-long symbolic silent protest at India Gate in Delhi on Monday to show solidarity with the students of Jamia Millia Islamia.

“Government has given a blow to the Constitution. It is an attack on the soul of the nation, youth is the soul of the nation. It is their right to protest. I am a mother too. You entered into their library, dragged them out and thrashed them up. This is tyranny,” said Priyanka while talking to media at the Congress headquarters after dharna.

Reiterating that every person in Congress will fight against this tyranny and stand with the students, Priyanka demanded an answer from the PM Modi.

“Prime Minister should answer on what happened at the University yesterday, whose government beat up the students? He should speak on the sinking economy. His party MLA raped a girl, why has not he spoken on it?” asked Priyanka.

She re-emphasised that the Citizenship amendment law is against India's Constitution. It is to destroy our Constitution.

Delhi police allegedly resorted to lathi-charge on Sunday evening after thousands of Jamia Milia students hit the street to protest controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

Delhi police, however, claimed that permission for the sit-in was not granted by the administration.

The police cordoned off the movement around India Gate and asked for nearby metro stations to be shut down during Priyanka’s dharna.

It is important to mention that students in several cities along with the members of the civil society have come out in large numbers and extended their support to the students of Jamia Millia Islamia since yesterday.

Leaders of several opposition parties also have blasted Modi government over the police crackdown at Jamia and demanded judicial probe into the police atrocity over the protesting students.