New citizenship law: Lucknow’s Nadwa College students forced to retreat protest march, 2 FIRs filed

Read | Protest at Lucknow’s Integral University peaceful, says police but file 2 FIRs

The second FIR has been lodged at Hasanganj police station over the alleged violence on Monday. The FIR has been lodged against 25-30 unidentified people under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder), 147, 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) among others.

Meanwhile, the university administration has declared holidays with effect from Monday and students were seen leaving the campus with their belongings. Mohd Faizan Nagrami, PRO, Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama, said the college will be closed till January 5. “After seeing the situation today, we have decided to shut the college and have asked students to leave for their homes immediately,” said Nagrami.

Inspector General (IG), Lucknow Range, S K Bhagat, who was present outside the college on Monday afternoon, told The Indian Express that the situation was under control. “Students indulged in violence and threw stones at police personnel for 10-15 seconds in the morning. We pushed them back inside the college. The situation was brought under control by police personnel,” said Bhagat.

A round of lathicharge was done by police when a group of local residents took out a protest march against the new citizenship law, National Register of Citizens (NRC) and police action in AMU and JMI at Shabab market around 2:30 pm. Slogans were raised against the CAA, NRC and Delhi and Aligarh police during the protest. “Two tear gas shells were thrown to control the situation the second time the protest became violent and stones were thrown at police personnel,” said Bhagat.

A student of Nadeemuddin (20), who is doing a course in Aalamiyat at Nadwa, said the students wanted to hold a peaceful march around the campus. “We wanted to hold a march peacefully. Our protest was non-violent. We were not allowed to leave the campus. It was the police who resorted to lathicharge on unarmed students. We were protesting against police atrocities in Jamia and AMU. We did not block any road. We did not indulge in violence,” said Naeemuddin.

He added that the university administration told the students that if they don’t leave, police would enter the campus.

“Why are we being sent home? It is because the administration is scared that they will not be able to stop police from entering the campus,” said Naeemuddin, claiming that 15-20 students were injured in the lathicharge.

The college’s PRO, Nagrami, however, said the college was closed not under pressure from adiministration or police.

“We shut down the college seeing the situation, not due to any pressure,” said Nagrami.

Nagrami added that no student has been injured on Monday and that most students had left the campus by evening.
Speaking to mediapersons Monday, Lucknow District Magsitrate Abhishek Prakash, said, “Around 250-300 students came out of the college. We managed the situation calmly and with restraint along with the college administration. The situation is under control now but we’re on alert. If someone breaks the law, they will be dealt with. Police did not enter the campus,” said Prakash, who added that section 144 is in place in Lucknow and no unlawful assembly of people is permitted.

“No force was used on students,” added the DM.