Martyrs Day: PM Modi pays tribute, anti-CAA protests planned at Rajghat
New Delhi: On the occasion of the 72nd death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and Martyrs' Day on Thursday, a 'Sarva Dharma Prarthana' (inter-faith prayer) will be held at Gandhi Samadhi at Rajghat here.
Student unions and civil society groups have called for a demonstration against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act at Rajghat. Protestors will converge at Rajghat and form a human chain and later march towards other landmarks, including Shaheen Bagh and Khajuri Khas.
DCP Central Delhi stated that some organisations have applied for permission for the human chain in and around Rajghat. However, permission has been denied as this is not a traditional route for holding a protest march.
"Their permissions have been denied as it is not a traditional route, and informed to the organisers. Organisers have been requested to apply for designated places for such protests like Jantar Mantar, Ramlila ground etc," read a post on the official Twitter handle of DCP Central Delhi.
Earlier on Monday, Left groups announced they will form a human chain today at Rajghat to display 'solidarity with the Constitution, democracy, and secularism'. The initiative will be conducted under the banner of 'Jan Ekta Jan Adhikar Andolan'.
Protests have been going on in different parts of the country against the amended citizenship Act which grants citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Parsi, Buddhist, and Christian refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.
On the occasion of Republic Day on January 26, Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan participated in a 620km long human chain organised by Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala demanding withdrawal of CAA. He said that the law is a "threat to secularism of this country."
In Kolkata people from diverse backgrounds formed a human chain that extended from Ramkrishna Mission at Golpark to Netaji Statue at Shyambazar in order to "salute, safeguard and uphold the Constitution of India" on the occasion of the Republic Day.
PM Modi pays tribute
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his death anniversary, saying the Father of the Nation will continue to inspire people to build a strong, capable and prosperous country.
"A tribute to the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi on his death anniversary. The ideals of Bapu will continue to inspire us to build a strong, capable and prosperous New India," Modi tweeted.
The Mahatma was assassinated here on this day in 1948.
