New Delhi:
The national capital witnessed protest demonstrations by political parties, students’ bodies and civil society groups over the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill on Tuesday.
The Northeast Students’ Union is staging a protest against the bill at Jantar Mantar. People from various walks of life and across organisations have joined the stir.
The CPI(M)’s Delhi state committee members also held a protest at the same venue against the contentious bill, which was passed in the Lok Sabha on Monday. Communist Party of India (Marxist) MPs had earlier held a protest near the Gandhi statue on the Parliament premises.
Members of the Left party were seen carrying banners, saying “CAB waapis lo” (withdraw the CAB) and “Dharm aadharit CAB nahi chalega” (won’t accept a CAB based on religion).
“The Lok Sabha passed the Citizenship Amendment Bill on Monday night. This law is against our Constitution. This law will be passed in Parliament, despite opposition. For the first time, religion has become the base for citizenship,” Prakash Karat of the CPI(M) said.
Several protesters under the banner ‘United Against Hate’ also raised slogans against the Bill and the government at Jantar Mantar.
“It is anti-people bill and it will divide the country. We do not support this bill and if the government will ask us to submit the papers, we will better to go to jail than submitting our papers. We do not need to give evidence of our nationality,” said Khalid Saifi (38) from United Against Hate.
Protestors barged into the office of the Janata Dal (United) in the area over Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s support to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.
Another protester, 24-year-old student Nabina Khan, said the time has come when every single Indian should boycott this Bill.
“The bill is communal and Islamophobic in nature. The government has made us feel like we are refugees in our own country. The Bill has passed in the Lower House of Parliament and we know it will pass in the Upper House also, but we urge every single Indian to boycott it,” she said.
The protestors burnt a copy of the Bill and were carrying placards that read ‘Withdraw CAB Permanently’.
Also participating in the demonstration was Taslim Ahmed Rehmani, national secretary of the Social Democratic Party of India. Rehmani termed the Bill anti-national.
“This bill should be taken back as it is anti-national. This will create differences between the people of the nation. The regional culture and demography will be diluted through this bill,” he added.
