NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, DEC 24
A German student of the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras has said that he was asked to leave India for protesting against the new citizenship law that has sparked unrest across the country.
The German student, Jacob Lindenthal, carried when he joined with other people in Chennai in a protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act last week carrying a placard that made a reference to the Nazi rule in his own country, “1933 to 1945 – we have been there”, was allegedly told to leave India after he took part in an anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Lindenthal had a semester left of his post-graduation in Physics and he was scheduled to leave India in May 2020.
Lindenthal told news organizations, IIT-Madras and immigration officials asked him to leave Chennai on Monday. “There were apparently administration issues with my visa. After ruling these out, I was extensively questioned by the immigration officer about my political opinions. Then I was informed about the decision (asking him to leave),” says news18.com
Meanwhile, a students’ body, ChintaBar, has in a tweet expressed its solidarity with Lindenthal.
Citing sources, The Indian Express reported that an IIT official had sent a report about Lindenthal’s participation in the protests “higher-ups.” It was also reported that they were unaware of the “incident” involving Lindenthal. According to visa rules, a foreigner participating in a political activity or protest is a violation of immigration law.
