Fearing Anti-CAA stir, Pondicherry University denies entry to student during convocation

Abdurehim said that she refused the gold medal in solidarity with the violence, especially against students, across the country in the wake of the CAA

Puducherry: Amidst the ongoing protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019, shocking incident came to light, where a gold medalist in the Master’s course of mass communications in Pondicherry University claimed that she was stopped from attending the convocation ceremony, where President Ram Nath Kovind was also present.

Rabeeha Abdurehim alleged that she was not allowed to attend the convocation ceremony though she was a gold medalist in Pondicherry university.

She said “I don’t know why I was sent out. But I learned when the students inside asked police they said maybe it is because she is wearing her scarf in a different way. That could also be the reason why they sent me out but nobody told me openly on my face,” she told to media.

Abdurehim said that she refused the gold medal in solidarity with the voices against the violence, especially against students, across the country in the wake of the CAA.

Rabeeha Abdurehim claimed that “When they asked to come on stage to receive the gold medal, I rejected it. I didn’t want the gold medal because what is happening in the country is worse. It’s in solidarity with students and all the people who are fighting against NRC, CAA and police brutality in a peaceful way,”.

Meanwhile, former Union minister P Chidambaram lashed out at the officer who had refused Abdurehim’s entry to the convocation ceremony and demanded that the officer be held accountable for the deed.

“Keeping out gold medalist from the Convocation of Pondicherry University was an outrageous assault on her rights. Who was the officer who took the student out and refused her entry? The officer violated the civil rights of the student and must be held accountable,” Chidambaram said.