Protests against the new citizenship law intensified in the national capital on Saturday as thousands of people gathered at Jantar Mantar and Assam Bhawan here, and called for an end to “religious profiling”.
People from all walks of life came out in solidarity with those opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and dubbed it as “anti-people”.
”Not In My Name” campaign, which was earlier in headlines against the alleged attacks on minorities, also held a protest at Jantar Mantar against the amended citizenship act.
Rahul Roy, one of the organisers of the ”Not In My Name” campaign, said, “It can be an act, bill or whatever, but clearly it is against the Constitution and is unlawful. The intension of the act is to create communal tension in the country.”
“This act is being used to create hatred against Muslims. If the government thinks that this will end here then they are wrong,” Roy said.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation closed entry and exit gates at Janpath metro station in view of the massive protest.
Similar agitations were also held near Assam Bhawan, where people holding candles raised slogans in protest against the controversial legislation.
Sara Javed Chawla, a 24-year-old Delhi University student, said the communal politics should be stopped.
“The current government is doing politics on religion and nothing else. They do not talk about the real issues, but divert people”s attention from them. Why you are creating Islamophobia?” she said.
“Why only the Muslims of this country need to prove or show their citizenship. The Muslims are equally Indians as the people from other religion,” Chawal said.
Protesters carried placards that read “stop religious profiling”, “stop dividing India, boycott CAA and NRC”, “when injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty”, “save India from fascism”.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was signed into law by President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday.
Under the new law, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014 and facing religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship.
Another protester at Jantar Mantar said this is the “new politics after the Mandir-Masjid”.
“After the Mandir-Masjid politics, now the government is dividing people on the basis of citizenship. They would not stop creating communal tension in the country,” 39-year-old Mohammad Ikrar said.
Ahmed (26), who works in an MNC, said, “We do not need to give evidence. The act is anti-people and it will divide the country. We do not support this act and if the government will ask us to submit the papers, we will better to go to jail than submitting our papers. We will continue to raise our voice against this act.”
Students of Jamia Millia Islamia had called for a university lockdown on Saturday and boycott of the exams to protest against the amended citizenship act, and also against the Friday”s violence following clashes with police during their march.
