German Student From IIT Madras Asked to Leave India After Participating in Anti-CAA Protests

Chennai, December 24: With the protests against the recently amended Citizenship Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) gaining momentum in the country, the immigration department in Chennai has asked an exchange student from Germany -- Jakob Lindenthal -- to leave the country 'immediately' days after he attended protests. Lindenthal is a student in the Master’s course in the Department of Physics at IIT Madras and is a part of a one-year exchange programme.

According to a report, published in the Indian Express, Lindenthal was spotted in multiple rallies and following this on Monday he was reportedly asked by the immigration officials to leave the country. Speaking to various media, the German student was called by the immigration department of Foreigners Regional Registration Office for a meeting on his resident permit, but later asked him about his views on CAA. He was told by the officials that he violated the visa rules. Will Jharkhand Join Fight Against CAA+NRC? Here's What Probable CM Hemant Soren Said Ahead of Assembly Elections Results.

Lindenthal states that he was in Bengaluru participating in a 'sports tournament', when he received an email from FRRO. Following this, he rushed to the immigration office of Chennai and there he was asked to leave the country for protesting against the CAA and NRC. As per the reports, the German student had carried a a poster that said: '1933 to 1945; We Have Been There' -- a reference to the Nazi regime in Germany -- during the protest.

Informing more about the meeting with immigration officials, Lindenthal had said that the course coordinator advised him to meet the FRRO. When he went at the immigration office, he was questioned about CAA and his participation in anti-CAA protests, after this he was asked that he might have to leave the country immediately for violating his student visa rules. Though he asked for a written letter, he is yet to receive it.

Lindenthal said, as quoted by Indian Express, "I received a call from an official in the Dean’s office. She suggested that I may leave tomorrow. Since it is going to be Christmas eve tomorrow, I chose to leave immediately." Hailing from southern Germany, he added "I do love the IIT-M campus, I love India but I am concerned about illiberal extremes in the country…In Germany, nobody is ever evicted for participating in a legal demonstration."

Asked about the sudden development, IIT Director Bhaskar Ramamurthy said he was out of station and yet to know about the incident. Same reply were received by head of the Department of Physics -- K Sethupathi. However, FRRO official claim that they are looking into the matter if Lindenthal violated visa rules or not, and if it happens then there is possibility that his visa may be cancelled. Lindenthal's visa is valid for a year from June 2019 to June 2020.

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(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 24, 2019 08:43 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).