Maharashtra: Anti-CAA protests erupt in Pune, Mumbra, Solapur

Assamese community members std a protest on Wednesday in Pune against Citizenship Act, claiming it endangers culture of Assam and igres sentiments of people of rth-eastern state. Several people also participated in a protest march against National Register of Citizens (NRC) and Act in Mumbra, a predominantly Muslim township near Mumbai.

A protest march was also undertaken in Carter Ro area of Bandra in Mumbai.

In Pune, over 200 members of Assamese community, mostly students and working professionals from rastern state, gared outside Sambhaji Garden and std a protest against Act.

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Bidyut Saikia, a protester, said, "We oppose this new law and government has enacted it without considering sentiments of people and harmony of multi-communal state of Assam."
"This Act directly endangers culture of Assam as inclusion of immigrants will t only wreak havoc and create misunderstanding among people but also question sole existence of original culture of Assamese people, who are alrey in mirity in ir own state," Saikia said.

new legislation will le to erosion of ethnic, cultural and linguistic identity of indigeus Assamese people," he said.

People from various communities and religions, such as Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and ors, who have been living along with members of Assamese community in peace and harmony have opted Assamese culture in due course of time and vice-versa, he said. " inclusion of immigrants, who have little or idea about our culture and herit, is a direct threat to our identity and our peaceful balance in social topography," said Saikia, who works at a private firm in Pune.

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He said ir protest was t on any religious lines.

"We are against illegal immigrants and we do t want anybody, be it Muslims or Hindus, from Banglesh," he said.

Saikia said re was a big agitation against Bangleshi immigrants in Assam between 1979 and 1985.

"When Assam Accord was signed, it was decided that only Bangleshis who came to state before 1971 will be allowed here," he said.

"But during Congress regime, illegal immigrants from Banglesh kept coming and w it has become such a big issue that Assam's indigeus people are in mirity in 14 districts," Saikia claimed. In 2014, when BJP came to power, it promised that all Bangleshi immigrants will be driven out of state, he said. "It has been five years and t a single Bangleshi has been driven out," he ded.

"w with help of Act, re are attempts to provide citizenship to Bangleshi Hindus, who are staying here illegally," he said.

Tonmoy Goswami, ar protester from community, said Act also nullifies Assam agitation (1979-85) in which 855 people sacrificed ir lives in hope of an infiltration-free state. In Mumbra near Mumbai, protesters carried banners and placards condemning NRC and Citizenship Act and shouted anti-government slogans. Most shops in area downed ir shutters and auto-rickshaws remained off ros.

protest march started from Shimla Park and ended near railway station. At a rally held later, speakers claimed Act and NRC were designed to divide Hindus and Muslims.

Protests have broken out across country, including in universities, against amended act, which seeks to provide citizenship to persecuted mirities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Banglesh. Hundreds of students took out a 'torch procession' at Savitribai Phule Pune University.

Supriya Sule, NCP MP from Baramati in Pune district, also took part in 'Mashal morcha' during which participants carried burning torches apart from placards with slogans like " human is illegal, Merry Crisis and Happy New Fear, Inqilab zindab, Revoke CAA" written on m.

Speaking to reporters, Sule referred to Minister of State for Railways Suresh Angi's reported statement that anybody destroying public property during protests should be shot at sight.

"I want to challenge m. We are here, we are protesting, and if you have cour, shoot us," Sule said."Those who committed atrocities on students of Jamia Milia should be punished," NCP leer demanded.Sule also said that whatever is happening in New Delhi, entire responsibility lies with Home Ministry.

She urged students to st protest peacefully and do t get instigated by someone.

Several Muslim organizations took out a protest march in Western Maharashtra's Solapur district.

Citizenship Act violates basic framework of Constitution and is against Muslim community, protesters alleged.

Community leer Mufti Sayy Ahmed Ali Kazi claimed that nearly 40,000 people took part in march.

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