German student asked to leave India after protesting against CAA

Chennai: A German national was asked to leave the country after it was found that he took part in protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

Jakob Linderthal, from Germany, is pursuing his M. Sc (Physics) at Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M) since July 2019. Pictures of him protesting against CAA, within the IIT-M campus and in Valluvar Kottamwere last week, were widely shared across social media.

As per sources, officers in Chennai informed him his part in the protest was in violation of visa rules. Linderthal said, “There were apparently administration issues with my visa. After ruling these out, I was extensively questioned by the immigration officer about my opinions on Indian politics and CAA. They were not ready to consider my apology and asked me to leave the country.”

As per reports, though the German Consulate offered him contacts of lawyers whom he could reach out for help, Linderthal felt unsafe and decided to leave. He will be leaving India on Tuesday, December 24.

In response to this incident, Director of IIT – Madras, Bharath Ramamurthy said that he was out of the station and Professor Dr. Mahesh Panchagnula said that he was unaware of this development.