Some BJP workers allegedly created ruckus on Wednesday at a college here while seeking support to the Citizenship Amendment Act by raising slogans like 'Go back to Pakistan' outside the campus, even as girl students opposed a pro-CAA banner on the wall of their institution.
As the video of the incident went viral in the social media and the matter became a hot topic of discussion, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai unanimously said they would get the matter investigated.
According to information received, a group of BJP workers, all supporters of local party leader M M Govindaraj, had put up a poster “India Supports CAA” on the wall of Jyoti Nivas College near Koramangala. This was opposed by girl students, who said they would not allow any such poster to be put up on the college property. The BJP workers then tried to shout down the students. “You are not concerned about citizenship, you are concerned about yourself. You should be concerned about India first. You are not an Indian then,” a BJP worker is heard screaming at the girls in the video.
They also questioned the students if they had valid reasons to oppose the Citizenship Amendment Act and sought to know whether they wanted an argument or a debate.
The BJP workers purportedly told the girls that they were only the students of the college and not the owner. “What's your problem madam with the CAA? Are you the owner of the college?” they asked. Amid the heated argument, the BJP workers resorted to sloganeering like 'We want CAA' and “Go back to Pakistan', as seen in another video shot by the students.
Agitated by the incident, students of the college staged a demonstration holding placards and raising slogans.
They asked the BJP leaders not to bring politics into the campus. They put up posters and held placards reading, Stop turning colleges into war zones, Say no to CAA and You cant force your opinion on us.
They came to the campus, put up the poster and wanted us to sign in favour of the law but we did not agree. Then, they spoke to us in a rough manner, which we opposed, said a student on the campus requesting anonymity.
A posse of police was sent to the college to pacify the agitated students and persuade them to get into the college campus. BTM Layout Congress MLA Ramalinga Reddy visited the college on Thursday after learning about the incident and spoke to its management.
Later, he told reporters that the campus should not be allowed for any political activities.