Under the banner of Pragatipara Dalit Okkutugala Mahasabha, members of Dalit organisations and BJP workers took out a rally in Hubballi on Thursday, in support of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).
In addition to 'Bharat Matha Ki Jai', slogans like 'Support CAA, protect Constitution, protect Dalits' were also raised. Along with placards having pro-CAA slogans, blue flags, saffron flags, tricolour and portraits of B R Ambedkar and Babu Jagjivanram were also displayed.
After taking out the rally from B R Ambedkar Circle to Sangolli Rayanna Circle, a letter thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for enacting the CAA was forwarded through the tahsildar.
Speaking on the occasion, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi charged that the Congress is misguiding Muslims and Dalits on the issue of CAA.
More than 60% of refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are Dalits and the CAA would give them Indian citizenship. CAA would not at all trouble Indian Muslims, he said.
Large and Medium Scale Industries Minister Jagadish Shettar called Congress anti-Dalit and anti-national for opposing the CAA.
MLAs Arvind Bellad, Shankar Patil Munenakoppa, Mahasabha convener Chandrashekhar Gokak, Banjara community leader Pandurang Pammar, former MLAs Veerabhadrappa Halaharavi, Ashok Katwe and others were present in the rally.
(Published 13 February 2020, 09:54 IST)
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