A gold medalist from the department of Mass Communication in Puducherry University was allegedly forced to stay out of the hall where the convocation for the students who graduated in 2018 was conducted. The student, Rabeeha Ahdurehim alleged that she was only allowed to come back into the hall after President Ram Nath Kovind who attended the ceremony, left the venue.
"When I arrived here, when the President came, they asked me to come outside. They didn't use any force, they asked me to come outside and automatically I knew why, why they wanted me to come outside," she told News 18 Tamil.
After she was brought back to receive her certificate, Rabeeha refused to take the gold medal and told the media that it was in protest against being sent out of the hall and in solidarity with those agitating against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens.
Speaking to the media after she received her certificate, Rabeeha said, "I rejected my gold medal and refused to take it. This is in solidarity with protests across the country over CAA and NRC and against police brutality on students who agitating peacefully. As educated youth we have to take a strong stand."
Regarding being ousted from the hall, she pointed that it was unnecessary and unexpected. "They clearly expected me to do something when the President was there and told me to leave the auditorium," she alleged.'
Rabiha, a gold medalist from Pondicherry university rejected the gold medal because she was allegedly denied entry into the convocation hall when President Kovind arrived for the event on suspicion that she could protest against CAA.#CAA_NRCpic.twitter.com/U6QRhbgOvI
— Gopi Shah (@gops33) December 23, 2019
The gold medalist had to stay from the convocation ceremony for 20 minutes till the President left the University. According to reports, Rabeeha has been a regular participant in rallies against the policies of the Union government in the University. She has also led protests against BJP leader Tarun Vijay's visit to the campus.
When TNM contacted University officials however they denied having told her to step out of the auditorium.
Several gold medalists from the 2018 batch of the University had decided to boycott the convocation itself as a sign of protest against the CAA and NCR. The student council had urged students to skip the event which the President was to attend. However reports suggest that while the students collected their certificates, they did not take the medals as a sign of protest.