Over 10,000 take part in protest march against CAA in Pune

Over 10,000 people took out a huge protest march against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and National Register of Citizens here on Friday.

The march, which started at Babajaan Durgah in Cantonment area and ended at the District Collector's office, was organized by several organizations under the banner of 'Samvidhan Bachav Kruti Samiti'.

Holding placards with messages such as "We reject Modi Made Holocaust", "We Reject CAA/NRC", "Stop dividing India", the protesters, mostly from the Muslim community, shouted slogans.

Religious leaders from various faiths -- Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and Christian -- addressed the gathering upon reaching the collector's office.

The leaders asked the government to withdraw the CAA and avoid creation of a rift between communities.

Later, members of the Samvidhan Bachav Kruti Samiti met Collector Naval Kishore Ram and submitted a memorandum.

"We the people of Pune would like to express strong objection to the Act as it is discriminatory and against secularism," read the memorandum.

Religion can not be a basis for granting or taking away citizenship, it said.

"CAA provides an opportunity to the persons belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian religions who have entered India from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan to become Indian citizens, except (those belonging to) Islam, while (Islamic) sects like Shias, Qadyanis are also facing discrimination in these countries.

"We welcome all the people belonging to the above religions coming to India for refuge," stated the memorandum.

The CAA will divide the country, and there is a sense of fear among Muslims, it said.

There was apprehension that if the CAA and NRC were implemented together, only Muslims will have to prove their citizenship, the memorandum said.

"This will cause stateless-ness and hardship to Muslims who have been living in India for thousands of years," the memorandum added.