Long march against CAA
BIG SHOW Cong leaders, civil society organisations, students join the protest rally amid unity slogans, patriotic songs
JAIPUR: A massive crowd of people belonging to different religions, political parties and civil society orgnaisations, teachers, students, professors and many other groups came together to take out a protest march against the Citizenship Amendment Act in Jaipur on Sunday.
Chief minister Ashok Gehlot, deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot, around a dozen cabinet ministers, 50 non-government organisations and members of legislative assembly joined the peaceful protest.
It all started around 9am, when thousands of people started gathering near Muslim Musafirkhana on MD Road and started moving towards Albert Hall on JLN Marg. Many were seen waving Indian flags, holding photos of Dr BR Ambedkar and copies of the Preamble to the Constitution.
Students’ groups were seen singing patriotic songs and chanting slogans. They said that their fight is against the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and CAA as they are against spirit of the Constitution. Majority of the participants were seen sporting black bands on shoulders and carrying interesting placards.
The placards said, ‘stop dividing India -- save the country’, ‘Hindu-muslim-sikh isai, apas me hum bhai bhai; (Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Christians are brothers), ‘say no to CAA – C for communalism, A for annihilation and A for alienation. Revoke CAA and reject NRC’, ‘we are Indians by choice not chance’, ‘Hitlershahi nahi chalegi’ (we will not tolerate dictatorship), ‘hinsa nahi satygraha kare, CAA or NRC ka virdoh kare’ (Do satygraha not violence, protest against CAA).
Around 11am the crowd reached Albert Hall from where CM Gehlot, deputy CM Pilot and leaders also joined them and it turned into a peaceful march. Other than Congress leaders,
Sharad Yadav of the Loktantrik Janata Dal, Tara Singh Siddhu, DK Changani and Narendra Acharya from the Communist Party of India, Balwan Poonia and Vasu Dev from the Community Party of India (Marxist), Arjun Detha of the Janata Dal (Secular), and social activist Aruna Roy and Kavita Shrivastava from PUCL also participated in the peace march.
Around 1 pm, t he c r owd reached Gandhi Circle on JLN Marg where a public meeting was organised. Addressing the gathering political leaders launched a scathing attack on the BJP government, accusing it of passing an unconstitutional act.
Cmsaid that not only members of one but all communities are opposing CAA. “This march was organised to give a message of peace, brotherhood and non-violence. What is happening in the last seven days is really concerning. 15 people have been killed in last seven days in Uttar Pradesh which is the biggest state of the country. I appeal to the Prime Minister to listen to the voices of people,” CM said.
He added that CAA and are is harmful to every community; the government should take different steps against the infiltrators. “In Assam, people of BJP are also protesting against CAA and NRC,” Gehlot said.
Deputy CM Pilot said people of various backgrounds have come on streets so that the rule of law and Constitution can be upheld in the country. “I am pleased that people of civil societies, intellectuals, students have come together to protest against the CAA. The act is against the values of the Constitution. From Assam to Kerala, people from different states are protesting against the CAA, which is an example of togetherness,” Pilot said.
Cabinet minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas came down heavily on the BJP. He said, “The issue of CAA is not of Hindu or Muslim. It’s against the poor peo