NEW DELHI: Urging Muslims not to indulge in violence during protests, Jama Masjid’s Shahi Imam Syed Ahmed Bukhari on Tuesday advised the community to remain vigilant for keeping miscreants at bay from their demonstrations.
“During protest, we should keep an eye on people joining us. Miscreants blend into the crowd and resort to vandalism. Arson, vandalism, and stone-pelting don’t help. We should control our emotions. Whatever happened in Jamia is condemnable. We shouldn’t confront the police,” he told residents of Walled City who had gathered to protest against CAA and Sunday evening’s police action at Jamia Millia Islamia.
“Protest is our constitutional right, and no one can stop us.”
Before the hitting the streets, Bukhari said, people need to understand the law in question and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC), which, according to him, is “more dangerous”.
“Everyone is of the belief that NRC has been implemented, and that Muslims will be exiled. NRC is different but related to the citizenship law. This (CAA) was an examination for us whether ‘you will accept the NRC (or not)’,” he said.
In Muslim localities, traders and shopkeepers downed shutters in a show of solidarity. Akram Qureshi, president of Traders and Shopkeepers Association of Bazaar Matia Mahal, said the people had decided to observe a day-long bandh to extend their support to Jamia students, who were brutally attacked by the Police.
All shops in Jama Masjid, Daryaganj, Lal Quan, Chitli Qabr, Bara Hindu Rao, Okhla, parts of Sadar Bazaar, Quersh Nagar, Jafrabad and Seelampur remained shut throughout the day.
Similarly, a majority of shops in areas near Jamia University such as Batla House, Zakir Nagar, and Abu Fazal Enclave remained closed on Tuesday.
“We participated in the evening prayer at Jama Masjid after which we held a peaceful protest at mosque’s stairs. People have started thronging the mosque since morning. Whatever has happened in Jamia Islamia is condemnable,” he said.
Mohammad Mujeeb, a chemist in Sadar Bazaar, said it was a unanimous decision by traders and shopkeepers to close shops on Tuesday. “We are peacefully protesting against the CAA and police attack on Jamia students. We have every right to raise our voice.”
Silent protest at ITO shows the way
At a time when violence is erupting against the CAA, the locals at ITO held a silent protest against the newly passed law. The protesters gathered at Shaheedi Park where they tied black bands around their mouths. The silence was followed by short speeches and poetry recitation by a few protesters who raised voice against the amended citizenship law and the cycle of violence surrounding it.