RSS, BJP want to divide India in name of religion: Dalit activist Sushma Andhare

Amid anti-CAA protests across the country, Dalit activist Sushma Andhare on Sunday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of dividing the country in the name of religion.

Speaking during a protest organised against the Citizenship Amendment Act and National register of Citizens at Auragabad's Delhi Gate, Andhare said, "The NRC is already a provision in the Constitution but the current government wants to implement NRC under the garb of CAA and take away the rights of the original inhabitants of the country."

"We have come on the path of unity of India, whereas the RSS and BJP want to divide this country in the name of religion. The people of India will never let this happen," she said.

Expressing concern over the implementation of CAA, the protestors alleged that it was totally a violation of the Constitution.

Mousfera, a woman protestor, alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi government is "misleading the people under the cover of CAA and NRC".

"We are staging a protest to stand with the minority community. The CAA and NRC are a conspiracy to divide our country and will not let this conspiracy succeed," Sheikh Maria, an agitator said.

On Sunday, the city witnessed a mega rally with women from different walks of life participating in large numbers at the Delhi Gate.The event organised by Muslim Numainda Council, a social-religious and minority rights body.Holding anti-CAA and anti-NRC placards and posters, slogans like 'CAA se lenge Azadi', ' NRC se lenge Azadi', 'NPR se lenge Azadi', 'Modi sun lo Azadi' 'Amit Shah Sun lo Azadi', 'Hindu Muslim Sikh Isai hum hai sab bhai Bahi' were raised during the protest.Protests broke out in different parts of the country against the CAA which grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.