Centre asks Bangladeshi student, who took part in anti-CAA protest, to leave India

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has asked a Bangladeshi student, Apsara Anika Mim, to leave India over her alleged participation in an anti-CAA protest, organised by Left-wing students, that took place in the Birbhum district of West Bengal on January 8.

Apsara, a first-year undergraduate student of Shipa Sadan at the Vishva-Bharati University in Shantiniketan, allegedly took part in the protest in front of the varsity's central office. Soon after this, the Home Ministry sent to a letter to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), directing that the female student, Apsara, be asked to leave the country within 15 days.

The MHA notice states that Apsara, who is currently residing in India under a S-4 (student) visa, had been found to be involved in "anti-government" activities that violate the provisions of her visa grant. Shortly afterwards, a letter was issued from the Foreign Ministry's Foreigners Regional Registration Office in Kolkata, directing Apsara, who holds a Bangladeshi passport, to leave India.

Apsara, who hails from Kushtia in Bangladesh, was studying the Bachelor of Design course in the university. Pictures of her protesting in front of Visva-Bharati's central office had earlier gone viral on social media.

Other students, however, have come out in her defense. A pupil of a left-wing student organisation, Somnath Sau, said that Apsara was not involved in the anti-CAA protests. However, the pictures on social have led to a shadow of doubt on these statements.

Nonetheless, opposition leaders have questioned the move. "It is utterly wrong to ask the student to leave the country," Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) leader Mohammad Salim said, "There is no written law where it is mentioned that foreign students can't be a part of protests."

He added, "The Centre is scared of the students that they can be a part of protests but they can't join a political group."