Members of Jamat-e-Islami Hind and other organisations took out a rally protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in Belagavi on Tuesday. The protesters held placards and walked to the Deputy Commissioner’s office.
Leaders including former MLA Firose Sait spoke of the dangers behind the implementation of the Act. Mr. Sait said the CAA, along with the National Registry of Citizens, would target Muslims and exclude them from the list of citizens. They could be sent to detention centres for years, he alleged. He said this was nothing but an attempt at dividing Hindus and Muslims, and breaking down the secular fabric of the country. “This is not just against Constitutional principles, but also against humanity.”
Mr. Sait said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are ruling like Hitler did. “They have brought the CAA only to suppress us. But they will not succeed. This Act has led to widespread protests. This is like the freedom struggle. We will not rest till we get freedom from such leaders. Whoever questions our citizenship or nationalism or tells us that we are not Indians will be thrown out of the country.”
The protesters shouted slogans against Mr. Narendra Modi and Mr. Amit Shah. They submitted a memorandum, addressed to the President of India, to withdraw the law.
