Amid statewide protests over CAA, Central University of Tamil Nadu declares early vacation

Central University of Tamil Nadu (CUTN) declared winter vacations a week earlier than scheduled after a group of students protested on the campus in support of the students of Jamia Millia University and the Aligarh Muslim University who are protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

The University was closed from December 16 for holidays and hostellers were asked to vacate their rooms within 24 hours, as per the information posted on the website. A student of the Tamil  Nadu university said that the protesters were burning dummies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Hours after the protest, the Registrar S. Bhuvaneswari issued the circular asking the students to vacate the hostels, to avoid any sort of violence on the campus.

The protesting students are now on a strike, inside campus premises, demanding the administration to withdraw the circular saying that they have no place to go. Reports say that a couple of students have already vacated their rooms while some of them from the North-Eastern States are still remaining. They have requested the management for an extension of stay till December 20.

READ | DMK Stages Protest Against CAA In Tamil Nadu, Demands Inclusion Of Sri Lankan Tamils

MK Stalin leads statewide protest against CAA

DMK President MK Stalin, along with party workers, staged a protest in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, on Tuesday, December 17, condemning the recently passed controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) last week. Calling for a state-wide protest, the party supremo urged all party members to participate against the Centre's decision to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). In a speech that lasted over 30 minutes, Stalin launched scathing attacks on the BJP and questioned the real "motives" behind the Bill, calling it "ghastly" and "unconstitutional".

As per MK Stalin's claims, there are over a lakh of Sri Lankan Tamils who have been living in the refugee camps in Tamil Nadu for a long time without having official citizenship. The protesters have asked the Centre to revoke the bill and accused them of invoking communal disharmony in the country.  

READ | DMK Chief MK Stalin Leads Statewide Protests Against CAA In Tamil Nadu

READ | Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamath (TNTJ) Protests Against CAA In Chennai

(With inputs from ANI)