The video of a senior faculty member of the Presidency University leading a protest rally against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the NRC in Kolkata and declaring that he would burn a copy of the legislation has gone viral on social media.
In the ten-minute video, the 63-year-old, Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences, is seen raising slogans and delivering a fiery speech in which he criticises Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP government and its policies, as also the imperialist policies of the USA and its current President Donald Trump.
"I will burn copy of the Citizenship Amendment Act," he said.
The students are seen constantly cheering Pradip Basu, Professor of political science, as he delivers his speech.
'Attempt to discriminate people'
"We saw what happened in Jamia Millia Islamia. There is an attempt to discriminate people along religious lines. I felt the need to protest and when the students approached me, I immediately agreed to their request," Basu said.
Coming down heavily on the National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise conducted in Assam, he said, "When we are watching television serials in the evening, or sipping piping-hot coffee in the morning, we should also give a thought to the 1,000 people rotting in detention camps," he said.
(With agency inputs)
