CAA, NRC protests: ‘End state-sponsored attack, order SC-monitored SIT probe’

At a press conference, the activists demanded an end to the “state-sponsored attack” and quashing of FIRs, an independent SIT inquiry under Supreme Court supervision, cases under the National Human Rights Commission and National Minorities Commission, suspension of guilty police officials, compensation for families of those killed, reinstituting the right to peacefully protest, and an announcement that the government is not going ahead with the NRC.

The group included Colin Gonsalves, Harsh Mander, Kavita Krishnan, Nadeem Khan and Yogendra Yadav, while Bollywood stars Swara Bhaskar and Zeeshan Ayub supported their claims.

Yadav called the protests “spontaneous” and without a leader or organisation, but added that a meeting in Mumbai on December 30 may lay out a future plan of action.

Reacting to PM Narendra Modi’s comment that protesters should introspect, Yadav said: “We all should introspect. The PM should also introspect, and ask himself two questions. This country’s young people are saying something loudly. Are you able to listen to them? You say ‘sab ke saath sab ka vikas’, but does everyone come under that?”

“We are seeing a situation that the state is at open war with its citizens,” said Mander. “There has been violence on the side of the protesters but any violence has to be met with proportionate violence… There is no purpose of CAA other than a communal purpose.”

“It is a reign of terror atmosphere because people are not able to sleep,” said Krishnan. “There is an attempt to confuse us all and break this into little bits. We must see the whole picture.”