University student in India shreds CAA law copy at convocation ceremony

Embarrassment for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Citizenship Amendment Act continues, as a student of Jadavpur University tore apart a page of a copy of CAA while receiving her degree at the convocation ceremony.

A student of the arts department named Debosmita Choudhury, said, she chose to “dump” the CAA document at the podium where the vice-chancellor, Pro-VC and registrar were seated, as it made bonafide citizens prove their nationality.

She termed the act as the gesture of protest against the contentious law.

“Let there be no confusion. I am not showing any disrespect to JU. I am proud to be awarded this degree at my favourite institution. But, I chose this podium to register my protest against CAA… my friends are on a sit-in near the gate of the convocation venue,” the university student said.

The Citizenship Amendment Act protests, also known as the CAA and NRC protests, the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and National Register of Citizens protests, or the CAB and NRC protests, are a series of ongoing protests in India, against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), which was enacted into law on 12 December 2019, and against proposals to enact a nationwide National Register of Citizens (NRC).