Women hit the streets in Malerkotla to oppose CAA

The protesters started the march from the Sirhindi Gate which culminated at Satta Chowk

Scores of Muslim women held protest a march in Malerkotla, 35km from Sangrur, against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) on Sunday. They were also joined by members of the Sikh and Hindu communities.

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The protesters started the march from the Sirhindi Gate which culminated at Satta Chowk. They raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah, saying the BJP-led NDA government’s policies are “dangerous for the unity of the nation”.

The women submitted a memorandum to the President through sub-divisional magistrate Vikramjeet Singh Panthey.

“The Modi government wants to divide the nation in the name of religion. The CAA and NRC are dangerous for democratic values of our Constitution. The PM should first show his own degrees of education qualification before asking Muslims to submit decades-old documents,” said Nabila, a protester.

“The CAA and NRC will affect minorities and economically weaker sections of our society. There are lakhs of people who cannot prove their citizenship despite being Indians. We want to save our Constitution,” said Shabana, a protester.

Aman Deol, chief of Istri Jagriti Manch (IJM), said: “The Modi-Shah duo forced women to come on roads. The BJP government is introducing new laws aimed at targeting a particular religion. The pan-India protests will teach Modi and Shah a lesson.”

“The situation is under control. No violence has been reported in the town. We deployed heavy police force to maintain law and order,” said Manjit Singh Brar, Malerkotla SP.