German Exchange student at IIT Madras asked to leave days after participating in Anti-CAA rally

Speaking to media Jakob said “After I reached Chennai my course coordinator advised me to meet immigration officials immediately

Chennai: A student from Germany at the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras was asked to leave India days after he attended a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act(CAA).

The German student has been identified as Jakob Lindenthal, who was at IIT Madras as an exchange student in the Department of Physics. During agitation in Chennai, he had carried a poster that made a reference to the Nazi rule of Germany: “1933 to 1945 – we have been there”.

On Monday, before leaving for his home, Jakob Lindenthal told media that he had received “oral directions” to leave India from the Foreigners Regional Registration Office in (FRRO) in Chennai around noon.

Speaking to media Jakob said “After I reached Chennai my course coordinator advised me to meet immigration officials immediately. When I reached there, they cited some administrative issues related to my residential permit in India. After I resolved their queries and it was clear that there were no issues regarding my residential permit, they started asking me about my politics and hobbies. It was an extensive casual conversation.

The course coordinator asked about CAA and my participation in anti-CAA protests. We discussed the demonstration culture. Three officers including one who asked me all the questions. All of them were unnamed. Towards the end of the conversation, they said I may have to leave India immediately for violating my student visa rules. When I asked for a written letter, they returned my passport and said that I may leave. They said I will get the written letter but I did not receive one. Soon, I rushed back to the IIT campus, booked my ticket, packed everything and left for the airport”, he said.