Thousands march in Jaipur to protest against CAA

Thousands of people belonging to the Left parties, lawyers fraternity, CIPU, People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), civil society, teachers, professors and many other organisations came together to take out a massive protest march against the Citizenship Amendment Act in Jaipur on Thursday, while the BJP announced that it will rally in support of the Act on Friday.

On Thursday, the protest march taken out by the CPI, CPI(M), leftists, advocates, CIPU, PUCL was peaceful unlike in other states and there was no detention of any protester.

The march, which started from Khasa Kothi in Jaipur culminated at the district collectorate, where slogans were raised asking the government to rollback the CAA. Five representatives amongst the protesters presented a memorandum addressed to the President of India to the collector.

Sanjay Madhav from the CPI-M said, "the protest was taken out to save the Constitution and Democracy. The BJP, in order to save its face on real issues, has tried to divert attention by dividing the nation between Hindus and Muslims and we will not let that happen," he told IANS.

Madhav informed that a major protest will be staged at Karbala maidan on Sunday which the maximum number of Muslims will be joining. The slogan of this protest is 'Desh Bachao, Sanvidhan Bachao'. More than one lakh people will be participating in the protest, he said.

Amraram, a CPI-M leader from Sikar, said that around 1000 workers took out a protest march there too. Over 90 per cent of them were youths who were quite upset with the CAA and hence were out on the streets demanding its rollback.

Kishaan Pareek, district secretary of the CPI-M, said that protest marches were also taken out in other districts - Hanumangarh, Sri Ganganagar, Jhunjhunu, Churu, Alwar, Kota and other places.

Meanwhile, the state BJP as a counter measure on Thursday said that a massive rally will be taken out in Jaipur in support of the Citizenship Amendment Act on Friday.

BJP state secretary Mukesh Dhadeech said that floral tributes will be offered at Shaheed smarak and from there a rally will be taken out to the Civil Lines gate. BJP state president Satish Poonia will submit a memorandum to the governor in this regard.

"The Congress government is not interested in CAA's implementation due to sheer politics despite knowing the fact that Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Indira Gandhi had advocated the cause of giving citizenship to minorities coming from Pakistan, Afghanistan," said Dhadeech.

The BJP state spokesperson Vimal Katiyar said that the rally will have around 12000-15000 people.

It will be attended by Pak Hindu migrants along with union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, BJP vice-president Avinash Rai Khanna, state BJP president Poonia, leader of opposition Gulabchand Kataria amongst many others, said Dhadeech.

Katiyar said that a march was also taken out on Thursday by the VHP and other saffron wings in Jaipur where people in large numbers gathered at Statue Circle raising slogans such as Vande Mataram and Bharat Mata ki Jai.IANS