Anti-CAA Stir: German Student whose placard drew Nazi reference at IIT-Madras told to deport

New Delhi, Dec 24: A German student at IIT-Madras who had carried a placard that made a reference to the Nazi rule in his own country: "1933 to 1945 - we have been there", was allegedly told to leave India after he took part in an anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Jakob Lindenthal, an exchange student at IIT Madras in the Department of Physics, was in India as part of a one-year exchange programme. He left for Amsterdam last night itself after being told by the immigration officials to leave India by midnight or face deportation.

ChintaBAR extends solidarity and gratitude to Jakob Lindenthal, for being part of struggles to protect the rights of people in this country and his concern for humanity. pic.twitter.com/4jgZLyVs7C

— ChintaBAR (@ChintaBAR) December 23, 2019

The development comes after the student was seen participating in an anti-CAA protest in Chennai during which he carried a poster which read, '1933 to 1945: We Have Been There.'

However, Lindenthal, who hails from southern Germany, he said that he had just accompanied his friends and had not raised any opinion or opposition. "Since there was no Section 144, I just went to Chepauk and Valluvar Kottam with my friends," he added.

This is dismaying. We used to be a proud democracy, an example to the world: https://t.co/M1MU3CyJVT No democracy punishes freedom of expression. I call on @DrRPNishank to instruct @iitmadras to withdraw the expulsion & allow India to hold its head high in the academic world.

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) December 24, 2019

The CAA, introduced earlier this month, has triggered massive protests across the country as it leaves Muslims off the list of religious minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, to whom it aims to give Indian citizenship.