Protests against Citizenship Amendment Act held across state

Team Udayavani, Dec 17, 2019, 9:58 AM IST

Bengaluru: Protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) broke out in Shivamogga, Ballari, Mysuru, Bengaluru and other parts of Karnataka on Monday.

The protestors staged sit-in demonstrations, took out rallies and raised slogans against the BJP government at the Centre.

In Mysuru, hundreds of people came out on the street, raising slogans demanding the abolition of the CAA and took out a bike rally against the Act was taken out.

Holding placards and the Indian flag, the protestors shouted Down, Down BJP, We Want Justice and Abolish CAA.

Following the agitation, the police imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC terming any congregation in the city illegal.

In Shivamogga, former MLA K B Prasanna Kumar led the protests near Gandhi Park in Shivamogga under the Kote police station limits. Fearing that the protests would turn violent, police took him into their custody.

In Ballari too, a mega rally was taken out on the streets opposing the CAA.

In Bengaluru, the IISc students organised a day-long silent protest in front of the statue of Jamsetji Tata in solidarity with the students of Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi and other parts of India.

Holding placards, the students opposed the CAA and read out the preamble of the Indian Constitution giving fundamental rights to the Indian citizens.

A few students of the Indian Institute of Management- Bengaluru wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi extending their support to the protests across India against the CAA and urged him ‘to not trample the democratic rights of citizens to peacefully protest an unjust law.’

On Sunday evening a demonstration took place under the banner India Against CAA at the Town Hall in Bengaluru. The protestors holding placards and tricolour raised slogans, Say no to CAA.

The protests were led by Congress MP Rajeev Gowda, MLA Sowmya Reddy, historian Ramachandra Guha, Kavitha Lankesh, sister of slain firebrand journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, and JD(S) national spokesman Tanveer Ahmedullah.