NT NETWORK
Margao
Vowing to intensify the agitation against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act by staging rallies and public meetings “till justice is done”, thousands of anti-CAA protestors warned to disrupt the assembly session with morchas if the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant does not pay heed to their prime demand on CAA-National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR).
The rally called collectively by church-backed Council for Social Justice and Peace (CSJP), National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation (NCHRO) and Concerned Citizens of Goa (CCG) commenced from the Fatorda stadium road, passed through the Opinion Poll Square road and culminated into a public meeting at the Margao municipality land at Maddel.
The speakers, while recalling the sacrifice of martyrs and freedom fighters, observed a two-minute silence in view of Martyrs Day. They urged the legislators to raise the issue of CAA in the assembly and oppose it tooth and nail.
“If the chief minister does not come out with a statement before the upcoming assembly session, we will come out in thousands and protest against CAA and disrupt the session,” warned Rama Kankonnkar. He claimed that there is a clause in CAA under which even OCIs can be challenged.
He said that the state government has banned journalist Faye D’Souza from a programme because she had voiced protest against CAA adding, “I urge the legislators (present for the public meeting) to raise their opposition to CAA in the assembly.”
“The Muslim community has been barred from seeking citizenship. Never in the past was an amendment brought to citizenship act on the basis of religion. This is an assault to the Constitution,” Claude Alvares said showing a copy of the Constitution of India. He added that the central government while updating the NPR would gather more details from the citizens, which is worrisome.
Activist Ramesh Gawas accused the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of trying to push through their ‘Hindutva agenda by targeting Muslims.’
“NRC and NPR are linked and when implemented, the entire nation will be affected,” he said and urged all the citizens including the lawmakers to raise their voice against the CAA.
CSJP executive secretary Fr Savio Fernandes, Ifftiar Shaikh and Muzaffer Shaikh also spoke.
Meanwhile, the Congress legislators from Salcete did not attend the public meeting unlike the public meeting held at Lohia Maidan on January 24.
There was heavy police bandabost throughout the route of the rally and also at the public meeting venue. The traffic police were on their toes to regulate the traffic even as there were volunteers from the organisers who guided the protesters.
Benaulim and Fatorda legislators Churchill Alemao and Vijai Sardesai respectively attended the meeting in support of the anti-CAA protestors even though they were not invited on the stage.
All the five non-BJP legislators had attended the public meeting at Lohia Maidan on January 24. But were not allowed to share the stage or address the public.
“We both are against CAA. And therefore we are sitting amongst the protesters,” said Alemao. He and Sardesai were the only legislators who attended the meeting along with the MMC chairperson Pooja Naik and its councillors.