The Supreme Court will today hear petitions alleging Delhi police atrocities on students holding protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act at the Jamia Millia Islamia and the Aligarh Muslim University. A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde on Monday took serious note of rioting and destruction of public property during protests across the country and said: "violence must stop immediately".
A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde said, "We are not here to blame anybody. All we are saying is that this violence must stop." "If protests and violence and damage of public property will be there, we will not hear the matter," the Supreme Court had said on Monday.
"We will determine everything but not in this atmosphere of violence. What is this? Public properties are being destroyed, buses are being burnt," the bench said.
The bench also comprising justices B R Gavai and Surya Kant asked the lawyers to file their petitions.
A group of lawyers led by senior advocate Indira Jaising and Collin Gonsalves mentioned the matter before the top court urging it to take suo motu (on its own) cognisance of the alleged violence unleashed against students who are holding protest against the Act.
When the advocates insisted that the top court must take cognisance of the issue, the CJI Bobde said, "We are not to be bullied like this. If you want the court to hear the matter then this violence has to stop." The bench said, "Prima facie, we do not see that the court can do much about it. It is a law and order problem and the police have to control the situation."
Students of Jamia Millia Islamia and locals protested at Jamia Nagar in Delhi on Sunday against the amended Citizenship Act. Protesters torched four buses and two police vehicles as they clashed with police in south Delhi New Friends' Colony.
Police baton-charged the protesters and used tear gas shells to disperse the mob before entering the varsity campus, detaining several persons allegedly involved in the violence.
Addressing the media on the police action on students protesting, Jamia Millia Islamia Vice-Chancellor Najma Akhtar had said the Delhi Police had entered the University campus without permission. Taking a tough stand on the police, Najma Akhtar said such behaviour on the part of the cops will not be tolerated.
"We will file FIR on the damage of property and police action on students, we want high-level inquiry. I will present facts to the HRD Minister," she added.
Meanwhile, Terming the demonstrations as 'distressing', Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Citizenship Amendment Act illustrates India’s centuries-old culture of acceptance, harmony, compassion and brotherhood. PM Modi said the violent protests taking place across the country over the Citizenship Amendment Act are unfortunate.
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