Anti-CAA protest organised by Visakha Muslim JAC in Visakhapatnam

In the past few days, the nation has been swept over by agitations over the recently-passed Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the city of Visakhapatnam hasn’t remained untouched by this anger. On Sunday, a massive anti-CAA protest was organised by the Visakha Muslim JAC to voice its discord over the Act and National Register of Citizens (NRC).

The anti-CAA protest rally began at Saraswati Park near Daba Gardens, with Muslims participating in large numbers, and went till the Mahatma Gandhi statue near the GVMC office in the city. The protesters shouted slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, claiming that the act is not in Muslims’ interest.

Both YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) backed the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Earlier on Saturday, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi denounced YSRCP and TDP for supporting CAB and demanded that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy withdraw support. He also applauded Telangana Chief Minister and Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) leader K Chandrasekhar Rao for voting against the bill in the Parliament. Mr. Owaisi also pleaded everyone to hoist the Indian flag over their houses and remind the Indian Government of the values on which the nation was built.

As per Citizenship Amendment Act 2019, an illegal immigrant who has come from Pakistan, Afghanistan or Bangladesh and belongs to either of Hindu, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi, Christian or Sikh communities, is eligible for Indian citizenship.