From Jamia & Shaheen Bagh To Kolkata, Anti-CAA Protesters Across India Unite To Celebrate Republic Day

On the occasion of 71st Republic Day, the Indian National Flag was unfurled by the protesters at Shaheen Bagh in the national capital. In the wee hours of Sunday, the protesters demonstrating against the amended citizenship law sung the national anthem and read the preamble of the Constitution as the women-led agitation entered runs in its second month.

Protests have been going on at Shaheen Bagh in New Delhi for over a month against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC).

The scene was similar at Jamia Millia Islamia where hundreds of students and people gathered to unfurl the tricolour at midnight. The students waved the national flag and chanted slogans of patriotism.

Republic Day celebrations at Jamia Millia Islamia, gate no. 7. pic.twitter.com/pu3DdXPmXj

¡ª Punit Kumar Singh (@puneetsinghlive) January 26, 2020

Republic Day Celebration has been started in JAMIA MILLIA ISLAMIA.#HappyRepublicDay2020 pic.twitter.com/3X1ZOcxVGI

¡ª Ziya Sayed? (@ZiyaSayed6) January 25, 2020

.@jamiamillia_ Wishing all fellow citizens a Happy 71st Republic Day!!#HappyRepublicDay2020#RepublicDayIndia pic.twitter.com/ndZWrxPeA4

¡ª Jamia Millia Islamia (@jamiamillia_) January 25, 2020

In Kolkata, thousands of residents took to streets for a novel Republic Day celebration on Sunday with a 11-kilometer long human chain, reading of the preamble and pledge to protect the country's Constitution and floating of black balloons opposing CAA, NPR and NRC as the ongoing protests against the citizenship law merge with the observance of the monumental day in the history of independent India.

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At South Kolkata's Park Circus - where the huge gathering of women since January 7 has given the place the appellation of Shaheen Bagh of the city of joy - the assembled people hoisted and salute the tri-colour, read the Preamble aloud in chorus and took a pledge to protect the Constitution.

"It is the day when our constitution became effective in 1950. And we are fighting to protect our constitution and the principles and values it upholds.

"Naturally, our protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the celebration of the birth of our Republic has a strong connect," Uzma Alam, one of the organisers of the Park Circus protest, told IANS amid non-stops sloganeering and shouts of "Azadi".

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The organisers have also decided to float hundreds of black balloons with the slogan "No CAA, No NRC (National Register of Citizens) and No NPR (National Population Register).

Meanwhile, a petition was filed in the Supreme Court last week seeking appropriate directions to the police to open Kalindi Kunj-Shaheen Bagh stretch, which has been closed since 15 December due to ongoing protests against the CAA.

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Protests are going on across the country against CAA which grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and who came to India on or before 31 December, 2014.