New Delhi: Amid the countrywide protests against the new citizenship law, Prime Minister Narendra Modi used the launch of the party's election campaign to launch a fierce attack on his critics, challenging them to "lay bare" before the country if any of his policies discriminated between people. "Stand up and respect parliament, respect the government elected by the people," he exhorted them from Delhi's Ram Lila Maidan, against the backdrop of the majestic Red Fort.
Protests have been planned today across Delhi and Bengaluru against the contentious citizenship law, which has raised a storm across the country. At least five programmes - meetings and foot marches -- have been planned in Delhi. Two of them will be held at Jantar Mantar, the designated protest site in Delhi, and one in the Central Park of Connaught Place, the heart of the city.
Here are the LIVE Updates on protests against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA):
Dec 22, 2019 16:57 (IST)
Students shave their heads in Puducherry protesting against Citizenship law
Students in Puducherry have adopted a unique method to demonstrate their protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act by shaving their heads.
Protestors were seen shaving their heads and raising slogan denouncing the newly-enacted law.
Earlier on Thursday, 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.
Raising slogans against the CAA and National Register of Citizens (NRC), the protestors claimed the act is against the Constitution as it has "discriminatory provisions."
Dec 22, 2019 14:15 (IST)
We did this because we won with everybody's trust. We passed two bills in the same session. In one I gave rights to 40 lakh people (of unauthorised colonies) and they claim I am stealing rights. I challenge you to go and check every work of mine for discrimination. If you find it then keep it before the nation. We gave Ujjwala benefits to so many did we ask for anybody's religion. I want to tell all parties to stop inciting people. Even in future, we will give benefits of Ujjwala to all poor people, nobody will be kept out. In the last 5 years, our government made homes for 1.5 crore people. The country is being misguided by political parties that we will ask all to arrange papers. We have done so much for the welfare of poor people without restricting that because of lack of documents. People had to run around before our government.