Members affiliated to various Islamic organisations gathered in front of the Tiruchi Collectorate here on Wednesday in protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act, the National Population Register and the National Register of Citizens.
Over 3000 people, led by Jamaat-ul-Ulama, gathered asking the State government pass a resolution to revoke CAA. Raising slogans, they said they would refuse to show documents proving their citizenship if NRC is implemented. Although the Citizenship Act was amended four times since independence, it has differentiated citizens based on religion for the first time now, they said.
Abdul Raheem, district secretary, Jamaat-ul-Ulama condemned the ‘inaction’ of the State government and said the AIADMK is using former Chief Minister late Jayalalithaa’s name but it is not following her ideologies. ‘Until she was alive, the BJP could not step foot in our state,’ he said. Six states have passed resolutions against the ‘discriminatory’ Act. If she were alive, Tamil Nadu would have been one of the first states to reject it, he said adding ‘the State government is acting against its ideals by aligning with the Centre.’
Mr. Rahim stressed that the protest was not solely for Muslims but was also for Sri Lankan Tamils, the poor and the downtrodden. ‘Brothers and sisters of Eelam are our flesh and blood. We will not let anything happen to them,’ he said.
Thanjavur
Muslims participated in a rally in protest against the CAA here on Wednesday.
Members of various Jamaths started converging near New Bus Stand here on Tiruchi Road since morning. Traffic on Pudukottai Road was hit as all vehicles passing through Tiruchi Road were diverted via this road. The police closed the stretch between New Bus Stand and the Tantex traffic island on the bypass road for traffic to avoid any law and order problem.
State transport corporation and private buses proceeding towards the New Bus stand from Tiruchi and Pudukottai routes were diverted to take Pudukottai Road at the Tantex traffic island and pass through the New Bus Stand Road connecting Pudukottai Road and Tiruchi Road to reach the New Bus stand.
The vehicles coming towards the Tantex traffic island from Raja Rajan Mani Mandapam side and the buses leaving the New Bus stand were diverted via the New Bus Stand Road and Pudukottai Road from Tiruchi Road in the opposite direction.
The Pudukottai Road, which caters to heavy flow of traffic during morning and evening hours, remained chocked for more than three hours on Wednesday in view of the demonstration on Tiruchi Road.
The demonstrators who started moving towards the Collectorate were stopped near a marriage hall on Tiruchi Road, located a few metres away from the Tantex traffic island.
The protesters holding the national flag and portraits of freedom fighters such as Bhagat Singh, staged a demonstration and raised slogans. The stretch between Tantex traffic island and the New Bus Stand on Tiruchi Road was opened for normal traffic in the afternoon after the demonstrators left the area. Members of various Islamic organisations took out similar rallies in Pudukottai, Karur, Perambalur and other districts.