Chandigarh: March of solidarity against CAA, from Punjab University to Sector 17

CHANDIGARH: Over 700 students of Panjab University, along with Tricity college students, activists and residents of Ambala, Patiala and nearby areas, took out a peaceful protest march against the Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) on Thursday.
The march started from Panjab University and concluded at Sector 17 piazza.
Civil society members and college students gathered at PU Student Centre at 4.30pm to support the protest student outfits organized.They raised slogans against Delhi police to condemn the “brutality with which they violated the right of students to protest peacefully” and the CAA. After starting from Student Centre at 5pm, the march passed through PU and internal roads of sectors 15 and 16 to reach Sector 17 piazza.
Heavy police force was deployed at Student Centre since 3pm to maintain law and order. Teams of cops, along with a Vajra van, a fire tender and special force, followed the marchers, who, after reaching Sector 17, sat down peacefully opposite Neelam Theatre. Cops barricaded the entire piazza.
Student party leaders jointly expressed their views against the CAA and the Delhi police’s action against their Jamia Millia Islamia counterparts.
SFS leader Sandeep Kumar, who was holding the stage, said, “This is an undemocratic step taken by the BJPled government. They have broken down nationality into religions and want to implement Hindu Rashtra here. They must understand that India is a multicultural country.”
Swaraj India party state president Rajiv Godara said, “We are here to save the Constitution of India. This government is tearing our country apart in the name of religion. We will not allow this.”
Protester Shamshel Ali Kasam, 55, who lives in Sector 45, said, “The CAA is against the Constitution. We have right to equality, which this Act takes away. Students are the voice of a nation and their protest is in the right direction.”
Protesters said people should understand that excluding any minority from the Act was against the very spirit of the Constitution.
‘The step is a regressive one’
One of the protesters said, “The BJP government is suppressing the minorities in India, especially Muslims. The step is regressive and will disturb the peace and harmony of the nation.”
Students of north-east studying in PU supported the stir. They said in their region, it was about from which tribe you were, and not the religion. “We have different tribes and people of all religions live there. The government has suspended internet for eight days to muffle our voice, but we will always stand against this Act,” a north-east student said.
Leaders from parties, including AKSAC, ASA, AFSS, AISA, ASUC, APSUC, NSUC, MSUC, NSUI, SSUC, TSUC, MSAC, MSUC, NIMN, NESU, Y4S, SOPU, SFI, LSA PSU (L) and SFS, gave speeches. They were of the view that they have a responsibility to defend and upkeep the tenets of the Constitution. Citizenship and refuge in India should never be based on religion, but on legitimate grounds recognized internationally, they said.
Meanwhile, commuters had to wait for some time while the march crossed the roads. At 8pm, protesters peacefully ended the protest.