A large number of people, led by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, took out a massive march on the roads of Jaipur on Sunday with the demand for withdrawal of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and pledged to oppose the National Register of Citizens. Members of the Congress and several political parties as well as activists and common people of all communities participated in the march, called the ‘Samvidhan Bachao rally’.
The markets remained closed, mobile internet services were suspended, public transport was grounded, traffic was diverted to alternate routes and elaborate security arrangements were made in the capital city. The participants, including women, carried the national tricolour and banners and placards with slogans against CAA and NRC.
Mr. Gehlot affirmed that the amended citizenship law was not only against the Constitution, but it also formed part of an agenda of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh to make India a ‘Hindu Rashtra’. “The Rajasthan government will neither implement the CAA, nor will it comply with the Centre’s directive to initiate the process for NRC,” he said.
Besides Mr. Gehlot, the leaders of the CPI, the CPI(M), the Aam Aadmi Party, the Samajwadi Party, Jthe anata Dal (Secular) and the Rashtriya Lok Dal also addressed the rally. The speakers included Loktantrik Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav, RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary and Jamaat-e-Islami Hind State president Mohammed Nazimuddin.
According to the police sources, nearly 3 lakh people attended the march, which covered a distance of about three kilometres between the iconic Albert Hall and Mahatma Gandhi Circle.
‘Undeclared emergency’
While demanding an immediate repeal of CAA, Mr. Gehlot said the violence during the agitation against the amended legislation had taken place only in the BJP-ruled States. “Lakhs of people gathered at places like Mumbai, Pune and Hyderabad, but nothing untoward happened there. What does it indicate?” he asked.
Separately, Mr. Gehlot took strong exception to Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking his name at a rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan while claiming that he had written to the Home Ministry during his previous term for giving citizenship to Hindus and Sikhs from Pakistan. “What was wrong in writing a letter? Why is Mr. Modi misleading the country in my name?” Mr. Gehlot said.
While Deputy CM Sachin Pilot said the BJP-led government at the Centre was not interested in addressing the real challenges of economic slump, Mr. Sharad Yadav said the nation was passing through a difficult phase and there was an undeclared emergency. Social activist Aruna Roy said the people’s struggle would not stop until the law was withdrawn.
Later, Rajasthan BJP president Satish Poonia alleged in a statement that Mr. Gehlot had created fear among the people of the State by leading a crowd belonging to “a particular community”.
