Anti-CAA protesters take to streets in Jalandhar

Our Correspondent

Jalandhar, February 23

Activists of the Ambedkar Sena and the Muslim community on Sunday took to streets and blocked the national highway to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC). Several markets wore a deserted look due to the protest. Many shopkeepers were in a fix over opening their shops. Residents said they had no prior information about the protest and they came to know about it on social media.

Besides the national highway, the protesters blocked several chowks, including PAP, Lamma Pind, Boota Mandi, and Wadala. Many commuters faced a tough time as they were forced to take long routes to reach their destinations.

At many places, including Nakodar Chowk, Ravidas Chowk and Boota Mandi, the protesters on bikes asked shopkeepers to close their shops. However, with the presence of police personnel, the day passed off peacefully.

“I had no idea what was going on. As it was Sunday, we had a plan to visit our relatives in Ludhiana. We left around 11:30 am and when we reached near PAP Chowk, we saw a large number of police personnel and some people were protesting there,” said Sarika Singh, a resident of Urban Estate.

To know more about it, Sarika took to Facebook and uploaded a status. “I saw a number of posts on Facebook regarding the same. We were left with no option, but to wait till traffic cleared and the protest was over,” she added.

A shopkeeper said, “To cover up losses due to a slump in the business, we have been opening shops on Sundays. Bandh calls affect the routine as well the business. Protesting is a democratic right, but blocking roads is not appropriate.” Hardik, who was about to travel to Chandigarh, wrote on his Facebook account that social media saved him from harassment.

“I was about to leave for Chandigarh, but coming to know about the protest on social media, I dropped my plan,” he added.