Bihar: Hindu Jagran Manch Issues Warning to End Sit-in Protests Against CAA-NRC in Muzaffarpur

Patna: The Hindu Jagran Manch has issued warning to end the women-led peaceful sit-in protests against CAA-NRC-NPR in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur town and threatened to launch an agitation soon if authorities failed to end it. This development has come barely 36 hours after three youths belonging to right-wing Hindutva forces opened fire and shouted provocative slogans near an anti-CAA protest site in Bara village in Gaya district. But they were overpowered by anti-CAA protestors and handed over to the police that arrested them for firing.

Kundan Kumar, a leader of the Manch, said, “We have issued an ultimatum to end sit-in protests against CAA-NRC-NPR without any delay or face consequences. This ongoing protest against CAA-NRC-NPR is anti-national, it has to end.”

Another leader of the Manch, Vimal Kumar, said, “We will not tolerate such an anti-national protest and will launch our protest against it.” He added, “Two days ago, hundreds of activists of Manch took to the streets in Muzaffarpur, staged protests against women-led peaceful sit-in protests against CAA-NRC-NPR at Maripur. We had blocked NH 28 near Bhagwanpur Chowk for hours on Wednesday and demanded administration to end the protest at Maripur. If this protest will continue,we will stage protest at Maripur itself.”

Also read: Bihar: Gandhian Protests Against CAA-NRC-NPR Ongoing at Over 90 Places

Sahid Kamal, an activist associated with the protests against CAA-NRC-NPR in Muzaffarpur, told NewsClick, “Leaders of the Manch along with VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad), have given us ultimatum more than once in the last one month. This is not the first time, they have warned and threatened us earlier too. Local police have arrested three members of the Manch after they opened firing and forcibly tried to create trouble at the stage of the women-led protest. But the latest warning and threat from their side have created a sense of insecurity in view of what happened in Delhi last month.”

“Our protests against CAA-NRC-NPR is continuing and will continue. We will not end this due to any ultimatum and threat by Hindutva forces. This protest started over two months ago. There is no doubt that gathering at the protest have thinned in the recent days after we have advised people to come in lesser numbers due to coronavirus,” Kamal, who belongs to the Rashtra Seva Dal which is part of the protests, said.

He said that another sit-in protest against CAA-NRC-NPR is also continuing at Jail Chowk in Muzaffarpur.

Police officers in Muzaffarpur said that security has been tightened near the protest sites.
 

Also read: CAA-NRC Protests: Kanhaiya Kumar-led Yatra Attacked in Bihar's Chhapra

Sit-in protests against CAA-NRC-NPR are continuing at more than 90 places across Bihar. Thousands of people, led by women, have resolved to not end their Gandhian protest until the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act, the proposed National Population Register and the National Register of Citizens are scrapped.

According to Chandrakanta of CAA-NRC-NPR Virodhi Sangharsh Morcha, most of these Gandhian waves of protest have been ongoing for more than a month, while over a dozen sit-in protests have completed 75 to 60 days. This include the protest at Shanti Bagh in Gaya; Sabzi Bagh, Harun Nagar, Lal Bagh in Patna; Maripur in Muzaffarpur; Lal Bagh in Darbhanga; Zam Zam Bagh in Purnea; three places in Kishanganj and one place in Araria district.