Two students from National Law School of India University (NLSIU) were detained and released on Saturday night for protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Bengaluru's Church Street.
Some students from NLSIU were holding posters against the CAA and NRC when police officials from Cubbon Park police station detained two of them.
"Two students were protesting against the CAA and NRC last night. They were detained and let off on the same night. They were warned to not hold protests without obtaining permission," a police official in Cubbon Park police station told TNM.
According to a student leader, two students from NLSIU were holding a poster and discussing with passers-by about the CAA and NRC. A video put out on social media by one of the protesters shows a police officials questioning the students over the anti-CAA posters they were holding. Church Street and its surrounding areas in Bengaluru receive high footfall on Saturday nights due to the presence of many establishments like bars, restaurants and movie theatres nearby.
Student-led protests against the CAA and NRC have been held in Bengaluru multiple times over the past month. On January 7-8, a 24-hour protest was held at Maurya Circle in the city by students. Students of universities including Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Indian Institute of Management-Bengaluru (IIM-B), NLSIU, Azim Premji University, St Joseph's College, Jyoti Nivas College, have held protests against the CAA, NRC and violence in campuses like JNU, Jamia Milia and Aligarh Muslim University.
On Saturday, students held up posters condemning violence at the campuses after a screening of Deepika Padukone-starrer Chhapaak at Bengaluru’s Orion Mall. A group of around 35 students held up posters when the end credits of the film rolled.