The protests orchestrated against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) by Muslim women for several months now in Ghataghar area of Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh has been called off in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. They have however warned that the protests would continue after the pandemic is over. The same has been confirmed by ACP Chowk Durga Shankar Tiwari.
This decision came after several Anti-CAA protestors continued to sit near the Clock Tower in Lucknow to protest against Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens, defying the call given by Prime Minister Modi to observe Janata Curfew on Sunday to control the spread of the Wuhan Coronavirus.
16 districts of Uttar Pradesh namely Lucknow, Agra, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Ghaziabad, Varanasi, Allahabad, Kanpur, Aligarh, Moradabad, Lakhimpur Kheiri, Bareilly, Pilibhit, Azamgarh, Meerut, Gorakhpur and Saharanpur have been locked down by the Yogi Adityanath-led government until March 25, starting from March 22. Only essential services will remain operational during the said period.
“Unnecessary crowding should be avoided, and people should avoid gathering in public places. This is because as we are standing at a juncture, where even a slight laxity can prove to be harmful”, The Chief Minister was quoted as saying.
He added, ” We are going to completely shut down the inter-state connectivity of Uttar Pradesh. No bus from UP will go to Nepal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan or any other state. Do not perform any religious functions collectively. Avoid visiting the temples, mosques and gurudwaras “
Shaheen Bagh protestors had earlier announced that they will go unabated about their business on Sunday in complete defiance of Janata Curfew that was meant to promote social distancing. However, since morning only two grannies and three women were seen sitting at the protest venue while the entire venue remained empty.
The protestors of #ShaheenBagh on #JantaCurfew. They have decided to keep less than 10people at the protest. Shoes have been placed on cots to mark their presence #JantaCurfewMarch22. #ShaheenAboveJantaCurfew is criminal. #Corona is dangerous. #StayHomeStaySafe @sayshaheenbagh pic.twitter.com/9YXaveZxrc
— Muhammad Wajihulla (@wajihulla) March 22, 2020
Locals said that the protestors had decided that no one would come around the protest venue, keeping the Janata Curfew in mind. Also, no men would be allowed at the protest venue. The Muslim women there have reportedly claimed that several people had lost their lives during the Delhi Anti-Hindu riots and they do not want anyone to lose their lives due to the coronavirus. As such, disinfection and other precautionary measures had been undertaken.
In a viral video, one of the protesters could be heard dismissing the looming threat of coronavirus by claiming that Corona emerged from the Quran. Several protestors do not think that the pandemic is a threat because the Anti-CAA protests are supposedly a ‘call from Allah‘.
