Civil society, students, women and children gathered under the banner of Alliance against CAA-NRC-NPR (a platform of more than 100 organisations) to protest against CAA, NRC and NPR as well as atrocities on universities and students at Jantar Mantar in the Capital on January 29.
Malik Motasim Khan, National Secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, while addressing the protestors, said, “The CAA is a divisive law against society, community and the country. We the people of India want to make sure and remind the government and the people that it is a black law aimed at dividing society and the country. The people of the country demand from the government to revoke CAA immediately.”
“Our women have taken initiative when Parliament has failed to do so. I would like to say that the battle has been won by the protestors. We were hopeless when the bill was passed in the Parliament but your protests gave us the ray of hope,” said Manoj Jha, Rashtriya Janata Dal MP.
Professor Ghazala Jamil said, “I come from a university which has been fighting for the last five years against oppression. Today the government after bringing in the CAA has tried to harm the spirit of the Constitution i.e. equality and thus the Act is against that provision.”
The National Co-Secretary of JIH Ladies Wing, Rahmathunnisa said, “Our languages may be different but our voice is same; clothes are different but our voice is same. We will never go back on the issue and will continuously protest until we get success.”
Shaikh Umer Faruq Quadri, President Maulana Azad National Urdu University, told the huge gathering, “The politics of a national party has been reduced to such a level that it is revolving around Shaheen Bagh. The freedom fighters were called anti-national and even terrorist and we are named so because we are fighting to protect and preserve our Constitution. All those who are saying so were opposed to the Constitution and the National Flag and today they are questioning our nationalism.”
Chairman of All India Ambedkar Mahasabha, Ashok Bharti questioned, “Did people submit any document at the time of Independence? How can they expect people to give proof now? The CAA, NRC will affect Hindus more than the Muslims and this is a fight to save India.”
JIH Vice President S. Aminul Hasan, President All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat Navaid Hamid, President Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO) Labeed Shafi, Ms Sucharita of Purogami Mahila Sangathan and many other dignitaries addressed the huge gathering.
The protest, which was expected to go on till 4 pm, concluded by around 2.30 pm when the police asked the protestors to leave Jantar Mantar because of the Beating Retreat ceremony.