400 people join Muslim women on indefinite protest against CAA in Mumbai Central

A group of Muslim women in Mumbai Central have gone on an “indefinite protest”, demanding withdrawal of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), similar to the one at Shaheen Bagh in Delhi. Started by 60 to 70 women, including students, household helps and their family members, on a road in Madanpura on Sunday, more than 350 to 400 people had joined the protest by Monday.

A group of Muslim women in Mumbai Central have gone on an “indefinite protest”, demanding withdrawal of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), similar to the one at Shaheen Bagh in Delhi. Started by 60 to 70 women, including students, household helps and their family members, on a road in Madanpura on Sunday, more than 350 to 400 people had joined the protest by Monday.

Protesters said that they won’t budge from their place until the Centre withdraws the Act.

“The government is doing what it feels like. They have detained Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad when he was protesting against the Act, women in Uttar Pradesh are not being allowed to protest…this is completely unconstitutional. We are just following the call to create a Shaheen Bagh in each and every city of the country. We won’t budge until the Act is withdrawn and the Supreme Court gives the right order,” said Fatima Khan, a law student, who is leading the protesters.

Khan said their other demands include a clear stand from the state government rejecting CAA, National Population Register (NPR) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC). “We are reaching out to more people through social media and asking women to join the protest,” Khan said.

The Act, which was passed by Rajya Sabha in December, amends the Citizenship Act, 1955, and fast tracks the process for granting citizenship to members of non-Muslim persecuted minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.