Protest against CAA, NRC, NPR will continue on Janata Curfew day: Shaheen Bagh protesters

Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked people to observe Janata curfew on Sunday, the protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR) will continue, said the Shaheen Bagh protesters on Saturday.

"If PM Modi wants us to be safe from coronavirus, then he should have withdrawn CAA, NPR and NRC. We will hold our protest tomorrow too," Salima, one of the protesters at Shaheen Bagh, told ANI.

She also said that the protesters are following all precautionary measures at the protest site.

"Here, the women maintaining the social distance of more than 1 metre and using hand sanitisers and phenyl to maintain cleanliness in the protest site," said one woman, who is a member of the Indian Federation of Trade Union.

She said, "In Delhi, there are one-room quarters where about 8 people live together. Also, in the RainBasera outside AIIMS, there are 70 beds with almost zero space between them. In such situations, the concept of social distancing is not possible for these people."

"Having Janata curfew for one day will not stop the spread of coronavirus as the government failed to take necessary precautions like closing airports much before," she added.

Echoing the same sentiments, Ritu Kaushik, another protester, said: "If the government was serious enough to stop the spread of coronavirus, then it should have intensified its checking at the airports."

"While announcing that people should refrain from going outside so as to avoid the spread of coronavirus, the government should also have said that ration would be sent to the daily wage labourers as they are completely dependent on their daily earnings."

While addressing the nation on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to follow 'Janata Curfew' from 7 am to 9 pm on Sunday to contain the spread of coronavirus.

The Supreme Court will hear on Monday petitions seeking the removal of anti-CAA protesters from Shaheen Bagh to prevent the spread of coronavirus, along with other pleas pending before it in the matter.