Dharnas, marches against CAA to mark Shaheedi Diwas on Dec 19

On the Shaheedi Diwas of freedom fighters Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqullah Khan and Roshan Singh on Thursday, a host of NGOs, citizen groups and opposition parties are coming together to oppose the Citizenship Amendment Act.

The epicentre of the protest is in New Delhi and Mumbai.

The three freedom fighters went to the gallows opposing the British rule in 1927.

There are 60 organisations who are behind the call for the protest including Swaraj Abhiyan.

The National Action Against Citizenship Amendment (NAACA) Act issued a statement which said, "the discriminatory and divisive Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 is an assault on our Constitution and the inclusive, composite vision of India that guided our freedom struggle."

"The Republic of India is founded on the negation of the two-nation theory that viewed citizenship through the prism of religion. The recent Amendment to the Citizenship Act brings back the two-nation theory by introducing a distinction between Muslims and non-Muslims for purposes of granting exemption for citizenship by naturalisation", said the statement.

Under the aegis of 'Hum Bharat ke Log', the programme is supported by all the major opposition parties including the Congress and the NCP.

A meeting, which was attended by all the major political parties, took place in Mumbai on Tuesday.

In Mumbai, the famous August Kranti Maidan, associated with the Quit India Movement, will host the event on Thursday.

In New Delhi, a march will be organised from the iconic Red Fort to Shaheed Park at 11 a.m. All the major political parties are likely to participate in it.

A statement issued by 'Hum Bharat Ke Log' says "The 19th of December is historically significant as it was in 1927 that our Freedom fighters - Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqullah Khan and Roshan Singh went to the gallows. They symbolise the rich heritage of our freedom struggle and our communal harmony led by Mahatma Gandhi and our National leaders. Our Constitution drafted by B.R. Ambedkar is being violated and under attack."

"This is the main reason that the entire nation has chosen the very day to condemn the unconstitutional law by the BJP govt," said the statement.

This will be the first time that people will come out in a collective way to oppose the CAA as the ongoing agitation is only confined to the Muslim minority population if the universities are excluded, said a leader.

The Delhi march could be a big one, said a person associated with the movement. He added that this is a citizen initiative movement and anyone who wants to join in is welcome. IANS