Caravan News
NEW DELHI – Massive rallies following Muslim congregation prayers on Friday afternoon were held in several parts of India against the controversial citizenship amendment act as a part of series of protests that have rocked India after Narendra Modi government passed the law in the parliament three weeks ago.
A massive rally against CAA and NRC was organized in Aurangabad in Bihar. According to one account more than two hundred thousand people participated in the rally which was addressed by Manoj Jha, leader of Rashtriya Janta Dhal, a regional party in the state.
शुक्रिया औरंगाबाद! संविधान की हिफाज़त का ये शांतिपूर्ण आंदोलन जारी रहें। बाएं हाथ पर काली पट्टी, दाहिने हाथ में बाबा साहब का संविधान और ज़ुबान पर जय हिंद।हम लड़ेंगे साथी और जीतेंगे…इस उदास मौसम के ख़िलाफ़। pic.twitter.com/Hfuv7jKAJm
— Manoj K Jha (@manojkjhadu) December 27, 2019
In the metropolitan city of Mumbai on the west coast of the country several rallies were organized including one by the supporter of Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) in Augusta Kranti Maidan.
Tens of thousands of people, mostly Muslims, assembled in Aazad Maidan to protest against the Act and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). The protesters raised slogans against the central government and warned of prolonged protests if government does not give up its intransigence.
The Act discriminates against Muslim migrants and allows people of other faith to get citizenship of India even as secularism is a fundamental pillar of the constitution.
Assaduddin Owaisi, the vocal Muslim parliamentarian addressed a protest rally which was jointly organized by several parties in Nazimabad, Telengana. While praising Chief Minister K Chandra Shekhar Roa for his stand against CAA and NRC Owaisi said, “It is a battle of saving India, we must rise above party politics and unite to fight.” He did not spare Congress and criticized it for choosing to stay away from the joint rally. “I called the congress leadership and invited them to join the rally but they declined the invitation citing political compulsions.”
In New Delhi, student demonstrators were rounded up in vehicles and detained inside police stations, after they attempted to gather outside Uttar Pradesh House in central Delhi. The police cited ban on assembly orders for detaining the demonstrators. However, they detained even the pedestrians and journalists who were there covering the protests. The detainees were released after sun set. The students raised slogans and banners denouncing Uttar Pradesh government. Last Friday nearly 20 people, all Muslims, were killed during police crackdown on protests which had erupted against CAA and NRC.
In Uttar Pradesh the day passed peacefully amid heightened police presence. Muslims assembled in mosques to offer congregational Friday prayers but government imposed section 144 of the law banning right to assemble and protest.
The police has arrested nearly 1000 people, including political and human rights activists, in the state. Paramilitary and police forces fanned across streets and roads while internet was shut down in the Muslim-majority districts.
