Thousands join rally in Bhubaneswar to protest against Citizenship Act
BHUBANESWAR: Members of Muslim community joined the ongoing countrywide protest against Citizenship (Amendment) Act and took out a rally in the City seeking its immediate revocation on Tuesday.
Thousands of agitators under the aegis of Muslim Dalit Suraksha Manch participated in the rally and raised slogans against the Centre holding placards written with ‘Sambidhan Bachao’ and ‘Don’t Divide India’. A number of students and local leaders also joined them.
The protestors said religious discrimination in the name of Citizenship (Amendment) Act will not be accepted by them.
They also opposed the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Police deployed to maintain law and order, cordoned the Mahatma Gandhi Marg to prevent agitators from marching towards Lok Seva Bhawan.
The protest, however, remained peaceful. Later, a delegation of the agitators met Home Secretary Sanjiv Chopra and urged the State Government not to implement the CAA and NRC in Odisha.
Members of the Manch had also staged a protest in front of Cuttack Collectorate on Monday opposing the CAA and NRC.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders who are supporting the peaceful CAA protest in the State, criticised the Odisha Government for extending its support to CAA.
Congress MP Saptagiri Ulaka who took to twitter to express his displeasure, said the Chief Minister should categorically state and make it public as to what was the real reason behind the support to enact CA bill in Parliament.