Traffic in the central business district of Hubballi came to a halt for some time on Tuesday as a large number of people and members of various dalit organisations took out a protest march against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) under the aegis of the Samvidana Samrakshana Samiti.
The protesters were also joined by members of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) including Prasad Abbayya, MLA, former Minister A.M. Hindasageri, and KPCC office-bearers.
The protesters congregated at B.R. Ambedkar statue near the Head Post Office and garlanded the statue before taking out the march.
Holding flags and banners of dalit organisations and anti-CAA placards, they marched from Ambedkar statue to Mini Vidhana Soudha covering Lamington Road, Sangolli Rayanna Statue and Kittur Chennamma Circle.
Mr. Prasad Abbayya said that despite opposition from various minority communities and progressive organisations, the Union government had not changed its stand. The opposition would continue till the new law was repealed, he said.
He termed CAA as a draconian law that meted out injustice to not only Muslims but also to Hindus. “Giving citizenship just based on documents is highly condemnable. At a time when the country was undergoing economic slowdown, it is highly condemnable that thousands of crores were being spent to enact the law. The Union government should immediately abolish the new law”, he said.
On reaching the Mini Vidhana Soudha, the protesters held a demonstration and subsequently submitted a memorandum addressed to the President, seeking abolition of the new law, to the Hubballi tahsildar.
In view of the march, the police diverted vehicular movement via alternative routes and had made elaborate security arrangements.
