Protest against CAB hits traffic in city

Harshraj Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 14

Strongly opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019, thousands of people from Muslim community and Majlis Ahrar Islam Hind members staged a protest march in the city on Saturday. They also opposed National Register of Citizens (NRC). While carrying placards with messages like “One country, one nation” and “No CAB, no NRC”, the protesters demanded cancellation of the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB).

Meanwhile, the traffic was severely hit in the city as people marched in the protest. Commuters were diverted to different routes to reach their destination as the city witnessed traffic jams at several places today.

The protest march, which started from historical Jama Masjid at Field Ganj concluded at the Mini Secretariat wherein president of Majlis Ahrar Islam Hind and Shahi Imam, Punjab, Moulana Habib Ur Rehman Sani Ludhianavi, handed over a memorandum addressed to the President of India to the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana, Iqbal Singh Sandhu.

Shahi Imam demanded that President Ram Nath Kovind should cancel the Citizenship Amendment Act.

“The Act has been created in the name of religion and it poses a big threat to the national unity and integrity. It will damage India’s secular structure. Moreover, this Act is against principles of the constitution of the country,” said Shahi Iman “The history is itself witness that the politics of hate never got success in the country. We have no objection to the fact that those who believe in different religions have been given relief in the Citizenship Amendment Act. But, we are raising objection as to why Muslims have been targeted and excluded in the Act,” he added.

“We have made unprecedented sacrifices for the freedom, unity and integrity of our homeland, India. This country is equal to all. India is a protector of secularism. But, the communal forces want to break Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian and Dalit brotherhood in the country,” he said.

He questioned whether the government, which amended the CAB, would not make any more such amendments for any other religion after the Muslims in the future. “Amendment to the Citizenship Act is a serious matter, which cannot be ignored. A meeting of Imams and administrators of mosques across Punjab will be convened in Ludhiana soon to chalk out strategy to start protests against the Act,” he said.

Several Hindus, Sikhs and Dalits also participated in the protest march. They appealed to maintain secularism.

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