Terming the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and proposed implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) as “discriminatory and against the values of the Constitution”, several hundreds of members of various Muslim organisations and progressive groups staged a massive demonstration here on Friday.
They convened a meeting at the masjid near Holalu Circle, from their reached the Idgah Grounds at Shankar Mutt Layout and raised slogans against the National Democratic Alliance government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at the Centre.
While addressing the gathering at Idgah Grounds, the agitators strongly condemned the Centre, Mr. Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for bringing the CAA and proposing to implement the NRC.
In the interests of the nation as well to ensure peace, the Centre should immediately withdraw both the “controversial laws”, they demanded.
Many of the youth alleged that the BJP and its partners at the Centre have been “trying to project the anti-CAA and anti-NCR protests as a fight between Hindus and Muslims.”
Permission denied
The agitators had planned to take out a protest march from the Idgah Grounds to the Deputy Commissioner’s office to stage a demonstration against the Centre as well to submit a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, M.V. Venkatesh. However, they were told not to stage the protest following the prohibitory orders clamped.
Nevertheless, Mr. Venkatesh visited the Idgah Grounds and collected the memorandum, in which the CAA and NRC were strongly opposed.
Heavy security arrangements were made by the police near Masjid, Idgah Grounds and other places. K. Parashuram, Superintendent of Police, supervised the security arrangements.
