All About The Woman Arrested For Saying Pakistan Zindabad

Amulya Leona Noronha, a student of NMKRV College for Women, raised pro-Pakistan slogans at an anti-CAA protest in Bangalore on Thursday which led the city police to file a case of sedition against her. Moments before Noronha went up on the stage and shouted "Pakistan Zindabad", AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaddudin Owaisi was giving a speech. As he was leaving the stage, she took the mic and started to raise pro-Pakistan slogans and as soon as Owaisi and his entourage heard the slogans, they rushed back to the girl to stop her and snatch the mic from her hands.

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Noronha immediately changed her slogans and started shouting "Hindustan Zindabad" and then when the mic was snatched off her hands, she shouted to say, "The difference between Pakistan Zindabad and Hindustan Zindabad..." However, she was forced off the stage mid-sentence. The controversy found it's way on social media, courtesy a viral video, and Noronha has been booked for sedition igniting animosity between communities and disrupting the peace. She has since been sent to judicial custody for 14 days.

Owaisi was quick to distance himself from the whole incident and the student who raised the pro-Pak slogan.

After her arrest, Noronha gave a statement clarifying her stance. "There have been instances where those opposing CAA are advised to migrate to Pakistan. People also raise 'Hindustan Zindabad' slogans in speeches aimed at hitting back at the CAA detractors. The gathering hails India on such occasions. But when 'Pakistan Zindabad' slogan is raised, the audience keeps quiet. When the gathering remains silent, it denotes their patriotism. None responded when I shouted 'Pakistan Zindabad'. I wanted to say next that all of us are Indians, and had planned to raise 'Hindustan Zindabad' slogan thereafter. But once I hailed Pakistan, the microphone was snatched away. Even though I requested for an opportunity to complete my address, no one listened to my request," she stated, Daiji World reported.

Also read: Sadaf Jafar : Only Woman Arrested in Lucknow Anti-CAA Protest

Who is Amulya Leona Noronha?

A student of English Literature, Leona has been an active protester who has participated and spoken against CAA in many protests happening across Bengaluru. The 19-year-old is not new to controversy as earlier in January, she heckled Mahesh Vikram Hegde, the editor of Right-wing propaganda website Postcard News. She pressured him to sing "Vande Mataram" to prove his Indian-ness but he did not relent. And for this too, she has been arrested.

Moments before Noronha went up on the stage and cheered "Pakistan Zindabad", AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaddudin Owaisi was giving a speech. As he was leaving the stage, she took the mic and started to raise pro-Pakistan slogans and as soon as Owaisi and his entourage heard the slogans, they rushed back to the girl to stop her and snatch the mic from her hands.

She is a resident of Karnataka’s Chikkamagaluru area and her father Oswald Noronha is also an activist fighting for the cause of the environment. Both of them have attended several protests together but this time, her father isn't supporting her for what she did. "Let her rot in jail. I don’t mind if police break her bones, I don’t support what she said and I will not approach lawyers for her bail. She has committed a grave mistake," he said.

“What she did was wrong. She was joined by some Muslims and wasn’t listening to me,” Noronha told ANI.

Picture Credit: Walikali