The central business district of Hubballi and a few arterial roads remained closed for normal vehicular movement and business for a few hours on Tuesday as the city witnessed a peaceful protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the issue of National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Amid confusion over permission for a protest march and the public meeting, people gathered at Nehru Stadium after a short protest march from Ambedkar statue near the Head Post Office here.
In a protest called by Anjuman-e-Islam and supported by the federation of various Dalit organisations of Hubballi-Dharwad, people, mainly from the Muslim community, held placards condemning the CAA and NRC.
The protest meeting saw participation by politicians from different political parties, including the Congress and the Janata Dal(Secular), apart from office-bearers of Anjuman-e-Islam, including its president Mohammed Yousuf Savanur, who condemned the Centre’s decision.
Addressing the protestors, the former Ministers A.M. Hindasageri (Congress) and Basavaraj Horatti (Janata Dal-S), MLA Prasad Abbayya (Congress) and others condemned what they termed the Centre’s uniltateral decision.
Mr. Horatti said that the Centre should have consulted the States before going ahead with such a decision. He also criticised the working style of the Prime Minister-Home Minister team.
Mr. Hindasageri accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of trying to divide a secular country on the basis of religion. “Mr. Modi first said ‘Sab Ka Saath, Sab Ka Vikas’. Now, he is trying to destroy Muslims. They will not be able to divide us in the name of religion,” he said.
MLA Prasad Abbayya said that the new Act was against the basic essence of the Constitution. He said that the Constitution was not based on any particular religion but treated all religions equally.
“However, CAA allows discrimination against the Muslim community which is condemnable. Instead of addressing the basic problems of unemployment and poverty, the BJP was trying to use religion for politics. The CAA should be abolished immediately,” he said.
National Anthem
The protest, which began with slogans against the Union government, concluded with the singing of the National Anthem. Slogans such as Bharat Mata ki Jai and Jai Hind rented the air before the crowd dispersed. Children dressed as those belonging to the faiths of Sikhism, Christianity, Hinduism, and as Bharat Mata carrying a portrait of Ambedkar, and a Muslim carrying the photo of the Constitution were the centre of attraction at the protest meeting.
Bandobast
In the wake of the protest, the police had made elaborate bandobast and had closed several roads for traffic. Police officers and personnel were posted at vantage points and some kept vigil from high-rise buildings. Senior police officials personally monitored the bandobast. The police continued vigil even after the protest meeting and the security arrangements were withdrawn only after all the protestors returned home.
