New Delhi: Protests in Delhi led by students of Jamia Millia Islamia University and the police actions against them has agitated Twitter considerably in the last 24 hours.
Here’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi sounding prime ministerial but is he providing the healing touch?
This is the time to maintain peace, unity and brotherhood. It is my appeal to everyone to stay away from any sort of rumour mongering and falsehoods.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 16, 2019
The need of the hour is for all of us to work together for the development of India and the empowerment of every Indian, especially the poor, downtrodden and marginalised.
We cannot allow vested interest groups to divide us and create disturbance.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 16, 2019
Congress’ Rahul Gandhi is not in a conciliatory mood at all…
The CAB & NRC are weapons of mass polarisation unleashed by fascists on India. The best defence against these dirty weapons is peaceful, non violent Satyagraha. I stand in solidarity with all those protesting peacefully against the CAB & NRC.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 16, 2019
Activist Umar Khalid provides a first-hand account of ‘Sunday bloody Sunday’ in Delhi over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
Spent the night at different police stations & hospitals. The attack on Jamia students is spine-chilling. Several students who were brutally beaten and picked up by the police were not even at the protest, when police attacked them. They were inside the library.
— Umar Khalid (@UmarKhalidJNU) December 16, 2019
Enough is enough, says filmmaker Anurag Kashyap as he breaks his self imposed silence on Twitter after massive protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
This has gone too far.. can’t stay silent any longer . This government is clearly fascist .. and it makes me angry to see voices that can actually make a difference stay quiet ..
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) December 16, 2019
BJP’s Amit Malviya illustrates the party’s or perhaps his own audio editing skills. Give this a close listen!
AMU students are chanting ‘हिंदुओ की कब्र खुदेगी, AMU की धरती पर…’
Chaps at Jamia want ‘हिंदुओं से आज़ादी…’
If this is the mindset that pervades in these ‘minority’ institutions, imagine the plight of Hindus and other minorities in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan… pic.twitter.com/VRNeOyhaHY
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) December 15, 2019
Can someone please look for actor Akshay Kumar’s spine?
Regarding the ‘like’ on the tweet of Jamia Milia students, it was by mistake. I was scrolling and accidentally it must have been pressed and when I realised I immediately unliked it as In no way do I support such acts.
— Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) December 16, 2019
Meanwhile, author Chetan Bhagat seems to have found his own voice.
Many get confused about my politics here. To be clear am only interested in an India where everybody lives in harmony and we have stellar economic growth. That is my dream. One-sided groupings bore me. I am not on your fixed side. I am on India’s side. And am proud of that.
— Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) December 16, 2019
Crashing the economy. Making jobs vanish. Shutting down Internet. Sending police in libraries. The youth may have patience, but don’t test the limits of it.
— Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) December 16, 2019
Actor Rajkummar Rao is also outraged by Delhi Police’s violence against students in Delhi.
I strongly condemn the violence that the police have shown in dealing with the students. In a democracy the citizens have the right to peacefully protest.I also condemn any kind of act of destruction of the public properties. Violence is not the solution for anything!
— Rajkummar Rao (@RajkummarRao) December 16, 2019
Retired cricketer Aakash Chopra, who usually confines his comments to the bat and ball, criticises the authorities for silencing students.
Deeply disturbing visuals from educational institutions across the country. Teary eyed. They are one of us. These kids are the future of this country. We don’t make India great by silencing their voices with the use of force. You’ll only turn them against India.
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) December 16, 2019
Writer Aatish Taseer leaves you in no doubt whose side he’s on in the student protests.
Shah and Modi are two men whose careers have been built on the strategic deployment of chaos. They thrive on the darkling energy spreading through India. If it’s a question of believing them, or the students of Jamia, my vote goes for Jamia every single time.
— Aatish Taseer (@AatishTaseer) December 15, 2019
JDU’s Prashant Kishor gives the Delhi Police a bit of stick for beating up protestors.
https://twitter.com/PrashantKishor/status/1206417385734823936?s=20
AAP leader Raghav Chadha brings back Faiz Ahmad Faiz’s revolutionary poem to describe the protests.
jab zulm-o-sitam ke koh-e-girāñ
ruuī kī tarah uD jāeñge
sab taaj uchhāle jāeñge
sab taḳht girāe jāeñge
ham dekheñge
lāzim hai ki ham bhī dekheñgeजब ज़ुल्म-ओ-सितम के कोह-ए-गरां
रुई की तरह उड़ जाएँगे
सब ताज उछाले जाएँगे
सब तख़्त गिराए जाएँगे
हम देखेंगे
लाज़िम है कि हम भी देखेंगे— Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) December 16, 2019
A member of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) tweeted her personal comments on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests, through the official account. An embarrassed PIB quickly pulled it down.
A member of our Social Media team inadvertently tweeted from the @PIB_India handle her personal comments on the situation in Jamia Millia. The error is deeply regretted. Suitable action is being taken.
— PIB India (@PIB_India) December 15, 2019
On a funnier note, here’s comedian Kunal Kamra…
The letter ‘H’ in Narendra Damodardas Modi stands for Humanity
???— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) December 16, 2019