Around 2,000 people assembled at Masjid road in Nerul (East) to raise their voice against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) on Saturday. The protest was organised by citizens.
“My friends and I came together and organised this protest because we think it was necessary. The message was spread through word of mouth and the response we have got is overwhelming. It shows the unity of our country,” Parvez Mansoori, a real estate agent, said. The protesters chanted slogans against the Act, sang ‘ Hum honge kaamiyab ’ and ‘ Vande mataram ’ and ended with the National Anthem.
Shasvathi Siva from Kharghar, who was also a part of the protest at August Kranti Maidan, intends to be a join as many protests as she can. “I have not been able to eat or sleep ever since I saw how students were beaten up. We have the right to conduct peaceful protest, it is undemocratic for the police to beat up student so brutally,” she said.
Hoithem L., who stays in Nerul and hails from Manipur called the Act unlawful. “This Act is against the belief of India being secular,” Ms. Hoithem said.
Priyanka Paul, an artist from Sanpada who was also part of the protest, said the government should listen up to its public. “The Act is gross violation of human rights. It’s high time, government should show the heart to listen to it’s people,” Ms. Paul said.
“It is a very well planned scheme by Mr. Modi and Mr. Shah to distract people from important issues of economy and jobs. The common man has not fallen prey to their divide and rule plan this time and has instead decided to follow Babasaheb Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi,” Mohammed Naseem Siddiqui, former chairman, State Minorities Commission, who was also at the protest, said.
He said the government was very cleverly trying to portray Muslims as illegal immigrants and non-Muslims as refugees. “If NRC and CAA were actually a wonderful idea then why would people be on the roads, protesting them?” he asked.
“Several States that have governments in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have decided not implement NRC. The move is not just anti-Muslim, it is against the Constitution and the ideals of Mr. Ambedkar,” Mr. Siddiqui said.
Pro-CAA rallies
Meanwhile, the BJP on Saturday conducted a rally in Vashi in support of the CAA and NRC while Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) conducted one at Shivaji Chowk in Panvel.
The rally in Vashi saw close to 1,500 people march from the railway station to Shivaji Chowk, chanting slogans in support of the Act and urging Navi Mumbaikars not to protest it and the NRC. Satish Nikam, general secretary, BJP, said, “The government has given answers to all the questions in the minds of the people and there should be no protest against the Act. We are welcoming the minorities of the other three countries with open hearts and others should also do so. The law was framed keeping the constitution in mind and is no way against it.” The protest comprised largely of BJP workers and members of the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti along with some residents.
The other rally, organised by ABVP at Shivaji Chowk in Panvel, witnessed close to 500 people including ABVP and BJP worker along with Ganesh Mandals of the locality. “The law passed by Central government is for the betterment of the country and there is nothing to worry. No citizen from the country will be thrown out,” Avinash Koli, ABVP, Raigad district, said. Mr. Koli said the ABVP would be conducting similar rallies in various nodes across Navi Mumbai in coming days.
