A student from Banaras Hindu University (BHU) refused to accept his master’s degree at the convocation ceremony on Tuesday to protest against CAA as well the arrest of fellow university students who took part in the December 19 protests and violated section 144 CrPC.

The student named Rajat Singh refused to take his degree when he was called on stage to receive his certificate of MA (History). He reached the stage when his name was called out but rejected to take the degree thereafter. The chief guest on the occasion was an economist and academician Vijay L Kelkar.

A video that went viral on social media showing the student during the convocation ceremony.

Rajat Singh, student of BHU refused to accept his Masters degree in protest against CAA.

He said – “I can not accept my degree when 70 students are in jail”.#CAA_NRCProtests #NRC_CAA_Protests@Mdzeeshanayyub @Akhil1490 @Vidyut @kabira_tweeting @_YogendraYadav @HasibaAmin pic.twitter.com/3Y5cinD2Nj

— JAC_BHU (@JacBHU) December 24, 2019

Almost 70 students and activists were arrested in connection with protests.

BHU spokesperson Rajesh Singh said that if those arrested include BHU students could not be confirmed as the police had not given the list of those arrested. Meanwhile, Varanasi Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) P Prabhakar Chaudhary said 54 persons were arrested from Beniyabagh area.

Apart from Rajat, arts faculty graduates from BHU displayed posters of 19 students, who were arrested and demanded the immediate release of the students. Later, they protested under the statue of varsity founder Bharat Ratna Pundit Madan Mohan Malviya against the arrests.

Source: The New Indian Express