Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, MP, will lead a ‘long march’ extending to four-km at Kalpetta in Wayanad on January 30, Martyrs’ Day, as part of a protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).
United Democratic Front (UDF) convener Benny Behanan, MP, told reporters here on Tuesday that senior Congress leaders Oommen Chandy and K.C. Venugopal; Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala and KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran will participate.
The UDF will organise a “human map of India” (manushya bhoopadam) in other districts across Kerala on the day to protest against the CAA. Thousands of UDF supporters would join the human map at designated locations in each district, Mr. Behanan said.
Playgrounds, including Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium, Kaloor, would be used for the protest, he said.
Senior Congress leader A.K. Antony will participate in Thiruvuanthapuram, while UDF leaders such as V.M. Sudheeran, Shibu Baby John, P.J. Joseph, Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan and M.K. Muneer will form part of the human map.
The UDF convener said there was no controversy over reports that some Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) members had participated in the human chain organised by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) on Sunday against the CAA. This was not an issue to be discussed or argued over now. The issue was that democracy and secularism were under threat in India and all those who opposed these developments should protest against it, Mr. Behanan said.
