Bhopal: A massive protest was organised at Bhopal’s historic Iqbal Maidan on Thursday against the National Register of Citizens (NRC), Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Population Register (NPR). Protests have continued at the site in the Madhya Pradesh capital for over a month.
Around 30 personalities, including Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) founder Medha Patkar, senior journalist Arfa Khanum, JNU students’ union president Aishe Ghosh, and a few students from Jamia Millia Islamia were among those who addressed the protest.
“I would take with me to JNU the spark ignited by the people of Bhopal,” said Ghosh, adding they are prepared to hold a long march to make the leaders of this country bow down.
Ghosh likened the spirit of JNU to that carried by the legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, saying the revolutionary had the courage to confront the British at a time when many used to sing their tunes.
Whenever there is an election, they (BJP) raise JNU issues and brand them as their enemies, said Ghosh, claiming that the BJP-led central government introduced demonetisation in 2016 to fight black money and eradicate Maoism but nothing had happened.
Slamming Thursday’s incident in Delhi where an armed man shot at a Jamia student at a protest on campus, Khanum said the attacker falls into the definition of a terrorist.