City stands united in fight against CAA, NRC

The Muslim fraternity attached to as many as 30 mosques in Triplicane gathered infront of the Chepauk guest house around 11 am with tricolour flags while one side of the Wallajah Road was blocked for vehicle movement. 

Protesters shouted slogans such as Sare Jahan Se Accha and Inquilab Zindabad. Post noon, they were joined by non-Muslims in a gesture to express their solidarity with their Muslim friends.

Around 3 pm, Sunnath Jamath Federation and a few other non-Muslim communities went in a procession from the Big Mosque on Triplicane High Road till Chepauk holding placards and shouting slogans against the CAA and NRC. They also condemned the police  attack on the protesting students of Jamia Milia Islamia students in New Delhi.

Meanwhile, an organisation called Citizens had called for a protest through whatsapp against CAA near the Besant Nagar bus terminus. People from different walks of life took part in the peaceful agitation.

While the police had initially barricaded the area to prevent protesters entering the area, they had to remove them to pave way for people who visited the beach since it was Sunday. The gathering observed a two-minute silence for those who were killed in anti-CAA protests in other states.

A report from Madurai said, more than 700 members of  various Muslim parties, including SDPI, Manithaneya Makkal Katchi, besides CPI, CPI(M) and Congress staged  a protest demonstration at Valliyur in Tirunelveli district condemning the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Students in Puducherry have adopted a unique method to demonstrate their protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act by shaving their heads. The protesters were seen shaving their heads and raising slogan denouncing the newly-enacted law. Raising slogans against the CAA and National Register of Citizens (NRC), the protesters claimed the act is against the Constitution as it has “discriminatory provisions.” Earlier, various political, non-political and student organisations in Chennai protested against the Act, demanding the government to withdraw the new law alleging that it discriminates on the basis of religion.

Chennai: The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) has barred all its staff members from taking leave on Monday, while the opposition parties led by the DMK have scheduled to go on a massive rally against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and demanding its repeal. The MTC has also directed all its employees, including those on weekly off and duty rest, to report for duty on Monday, the day of the rally, without fail.

In a circular issued on Sunday, the MTC managing director said that the employees were well aware that the MTC services were essential in serving the public by providing transportation services solely.

“Hence all the employees are directed to report for duty on December 23 without fail,” it said, adding that all the leaves granted to employees on that day stands cancelled and they should also report for duty. Besides, those on weekly-off and on duty rest were also directed to report for duty without fail, it said.

K Arumuga Naianar, general secretary of CITU-affiliated Tamil Nadu Transport Employees Federation, criticised the MTC management for issuing such a diktat when there was no necessity for all the workforce to be present.

“Since the transport corporation is considered an essential service, the management would ask the employees to work during festivals like Pongal, Deepavali and others. 

The employees, too, would willingly comply with the management’s request. However, cancelling sanctioned leaves, weekly-offs and duty rest of the employees just because the opposition parties are holding a protest rally is atrocious. We will not comply to the MTC direction,” he told DT Next.

The Student’s Federation of India (SFI) on Sunday sought an apology from actors Rajinikanth and Y Gee Mahendran for belittling the ongoing students protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

SFI State president V Mariappan told reporters that actors Rajinikanth and Y Gee Mahendran belittled the student’s protest with an agenda to support the RSS and the BJP government at the Centre on the Citizenship Amendment Act, which seeks to provide citizenship to refugees based on their religion. Rajinikanth expressed concern over the violence in various parts of the country over CAA. “The ongoing violence gives me great pain. Violence and rioting should not become a way to find a solution for any issue. I request the people of India to stay united and vigilant, keeping in mind the nation’s security and welfare,” he tweeted. Addressing a function in the city, actor Mahendran said that students were protesting across the country to attract girls and also to bunk classes.  Mariappan said that both the actors should tender an apology for belittling the students protest.