AMN / WEB DESK
Several rallies were held different parts of the country today in support and against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Addressing a rally at Shimla in Himachal Pradesh, Home Minister Amit Shah blamed the opposition for misleading the people over CAA. He urged the opposition not to misguide and divide people over this Act.
Rally was organised to highlight the achievements and development works carried out during two years tenure of BJP government in the state.
While addressing a massive rally in Shimla the Union Home Minister accused Congress and other opposition parties for spreading rumours over Citizenship Amendment Act. He assured once again that no member from the minority community will lose citizenship by CAA as it pertains to provide citizenship and not to take away.
He further stated that earlier government compromised national security by not taking strong action against terrorism but the BJP government stopped all infiltrations to safeguard its peoples’ interest by carrying out surgical and airstrikes.
On this occasion Union home minister highlighted various welfare schemes of state and central governments running successfully in the state. He praised Jairam Thakur Government for bringing over 13000 crores MoUs on the ground at a very short span of time.
Two peaceful protests took place in Mumbai today over the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens, not very far from each other. While hundreds of students and social activists have gathered at the Azad Maidan in south Mumbai to protest against the Citizenship Act, four kilometres away, at the August Kranti Maidan, hundreds have turned up in support of the law that for the first time makes religion the test of citizenship in India.
An activist, protesting against the Citizenship Act, told NDTV that the combination of Citizenship Act, National Register of Citizens and the National Population Register will be a repeat of demonetization.
“CAA, NRC and NPR is not only a religious issue, it will affect everybody. We do not want demonetization Part 2,” the activist said.
“NPR is the first step to NRC. We are being fooled. This protest will not stop, this will continue till the Act is reversed,” said another student.
Another protester said “This is an authoritarian regime. It thinks they can do anything. It is this government’s responsibility to protect and not oppose the Constitution.”
Many actors and celebrities too are at the protest site at Azad Maidan.
In New Delhi braving cold weather, hundreds of people gathered outside the iconic Jama Masjid in Old Delhi after the Friday prayers and protested peacefully against the amended citizenship law, a week after violent protests rocked the neighbourhood on the issue.
Several thousands kilometres away, Mumbai witnessed rallies for and against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Amid heavy police deployment, the protesters in Delhi raised slogans against the law and in support of the Constitution. They also shouted: “Don’t divide Indians” and “We demand equality”.
Congress leader Alka Lamba and former Delhi MLA Shoaib Iqbal joined the protest, which continued for almost two hours after the Friday prayers at the mosque.
Lamba hit out at the BJP government, saying “unemployment is the real issue in the county, but you are trying to make people stand in a queue for NRC as was done during demonetisation”.
“It is very essential to raise the voice of democracy for the country and for the Constitution. A central government cannot become dictatorial and impose its agenda on people,” she said.
Former MLA Iqbal said he condemns violence during ant-citizenship law protests.
“Those who create violence do not belong to us. There is a movement and it will go on. If someone disturbs our peace, then he doesn’t belong to us and he wants to distract our movement. We would not tolerate violence. We condemn the violence which took place last Friday,” Iqbal said.
Many of those who joined the protest said the contentious law needs to be withdrawn.
“We do not want this Act and the government needs to take it back. People in the country will not stop from raising their voice against this law,” said Mohammad Ismile, 41.
“This country does not need NRC and NPR. We want jobs and the government should improve our economy. We have been protesting peacefully and the violence which took place on last Friday during the march was not acceptable. We do not support violence,” Mohammad Shakib, 36, said.
Violence had broken out in Daryaganj, near the Jama Masjid, last Friday during a protest against the legislation and people pelted stones at police officials and torched a vehicle.
The situation has improved gradually since.
Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Azad has been arrested in connection with last week’s violence. Police said he had given an “inflammatory speech” after the Friday prayers.