Mumbai: Denied permission for rally, CAA-NRC-NPR protest to be held at Azad Maidan today

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Called “inquilab morcha”, the protest is expected to see participation by students of Jamia Millia Islamia, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Aligarh Muslim University, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, IIT Bombay and Mumbai University, NGOs and ordinary citizens, as witnessed on December 19 at August Kranti Maidan.

The students have demanded that the central government revoke CAA and discontinue NRC and NPR. They also want the Maharashtra government to unequivocally commit to not conducting NRC and NPR in the state. The rally has been organised by Joint Action Committee (JAC) for Social Justice, an umbrella body of activists, student and social organisations based in the city.

“While Maharashtra has announced that it won’t implement NRC in its current form, a similar announcement needs to be made with respect to NPR. Some other states that are yet to reject NRC outrightly need to show their commitment towards secular ethos of the Constitution,” said a statement by the students.

Former JNU student Umar Khalid, former High Court judge B G Kolse Patil and actress Swara Bhaskar will attend the event, according to the statement. Meanwhile, Malad residents along with members of political parties came together for a rally against CAA and for promotion of communal harmony under the banner “Samvidhan Bachao, Desh Bachao”. The rally, which lasted nearly two hours, started from Malvani gate number 8 to gate number 1. The rally culminated in a sabha addressed by Malad MLA Aslam Sheikh, activist Feroze Mithiborwala and Dr Ambedkar’s great grandson Rajratna Ambedkar.

“This has become a national movement and there is spontaneous mobilisation of people. Our task is to give it a national shape and we will soon have a national coordination committee in place,” said Mithiborwala.

Ambedkar told The Indian Express, “The CAA is not against Muslims alone but against every citizen of the country. Its roots were sown in 1925 when RSS was born with the motto of creating a Hindu Rashtra. This Act is against all minorities…I have been raising this issue on international platforms including USCIRF.” Ambedkar’s petition against CAA is scheduled for hearing in the Supreme Court on January 22.