Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh
Punjab seems to have become a new epicentre of struggle against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), as protests are being witnessed across the state.
In a related development, a large group of farmers heading to Shaheen Bagh was stopped by the Delhi Police on Tuesday night.
Act against schools for pro-CAA drive: PYC
The Punjab Youth Congress (PYC) took a strong note of schools aided by the RSS “forcing” students to endorse the CAA.
Several institutions going by the name of Sarvhitkari Vidya Mandir are reportedly taking the signatures of school students in support of the controversial Act.
PYC chief Barinder Dhillon alleged that the RSS would not be allowed to pollute innocent minds. He demanded action against the school authorities for indulging in such activities.
Eight buses carrying farmers led by Bharti Kisan Union (Ugrahan) were stopped by the Delhi Police at Sarita Vihar Chowk on Tuesday night. Following that, protests erupted in the state and effigies of the BJP government were burnt at more than 50 places in Barnala, Sangrur, Patiala, Bathinda, Ludhiana, Muktsar, Fazilka, Faridkot, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, etc.
Meanwhile, the farmers were allowed to proceed after they threatened to block the Sarita Vihar Chowk road.
It is for the second time when a large group of farmers marched in support of Shaheen Bagh protesters. Earlier on Monday, a group of farmers belonging to the Punjab Kisan Union, led by Ruldu Singh, had gone from Mansa to Shaheen Bagh.
On Saturday, a large number of women held a protest march in Malerkotla led by several Left organisations. Sukhdev Kokri, general secretary of the BKU (Ugrahan), said the Centre was diverting attention from issues like excesses on women, rampant unemployment and soaring prices, farmer suicides and economic disaster raising communal tempers.
Pind Bachao, Punjab Bachao, a social organisation organised a seminar on the CAA and NPR in Chandigarh. Dr Payare Lal Garg, former registrar of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, said peaceful protests were the only hope against the communal onslaught. He said when farmers of Punjab in solidarity with Shaheen Bagh marched in a large number on streets of Delhi last month and this month as well.
Meanwhile, several Left-leaning farmer, worker and student organisations have come together to hold a mega protest rally against the CAA, NRC and the NPR in Malerkotla on February 16.
