ABVP takes out rally in support of new citizenship law

Even as the city took a break from the anti-CAA protests on Thursday, a large number of students gathered in Malleswaram in support of the controversial legislation.

Over 1,500 students from three all-women colleges paraded along the streets, bellowing slogans like “student power, nation power, ABVP Zindabad” to support the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

Harsha Narayan, national secretary, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), which organised the rally, said the students were active supporters of the rally, and were interested in spreading the truth and creating awareness about the act, which the government has dubbed a humanitarian gesture.

Sheetal (16), a first year PUC student, said she is supporting CAA because Pakistan is ill-treating its Hindu and other religious minorities. Students participating in the rally belonged to the Government PU College for Girls, the 18th Cross Girl’s PU College and Maharani Lakshmi Ammanni College for Women.

Though no boys’ colleges were officially part of the rally, some male students joined the rally as it reached the Malleswaram Circle.

Many also fell out of the procession close to the two-kilometre mark as they prepared to head back to the 18th Cross Corporation Playground from where the march started.