Members of Tamil Nadu Towheed Jamath launched a ‘jail bharao andolan,’ to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act, the National Population Register and the National Registry of Citizens, here on Wednesday.
Over 5,000 people, including members from other Islamic organisations, women and children gathered and began the protest on Pudukottai Road near the Tiruchi Central Prison to demand the withdrawal of the CAA, NPR and NRC.
Traffic, including buses,were diverted along Race Course Road in view of the protest.
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Speaking to The Hindu, K. Gulam Thasthakeer, district president, TNTJ said that the protest was to demand the withdrawal of the NPR, which they believed will begin in April. “The Tamil Nadu government has asked for clarification of a few questions and has put the work on hold. However, we want them to pass a resolution to stop it from being conducted,” he said.
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“There are illiterate people in several parts of Tamil Nadu who will not be in a position to show any of the documents asked during the census, because of which they will later be thrown into detention camps,” he said.
Accusing the State government of siding with the BJP-led Centre, the protesters demanded that Tamil Nadu pass a resolution against the CAA, NPR and NRC like Rajasthan, Kerala and other State governments.
Tight security arrangements have been made in view of the protest. However the protesters were not arrested yet.
Similar protests are being held across 36 places in Tamil Nadu.
