Anti-CAA stir continues in Kerala; black flags waved at Muraleedharan, Yediyurappa
As the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests continue across Kerala, students waved black flags at Union Minister V Muraleedharan and Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Tuesday (December 24), and various Muslim outfits took out a march to Raj Bhavan here.
A group of activists from the Students Federation of India (SFI), the students’ wing of the ruling CPI (M), waved black flags at Muraleedharan when he came to attend a function at the Town Hall in Kozhikode.
Though police personnel immediately arrested and removed the protesters from inside the hall by force, the students continued to raise slogans against the CAA and the BJP-led NDA central government.
Also read: CAA effect: Kerala opposition leader rescinds invitation to Guv
However, the union minister later told reporters that the Centre had no plans to implement the National Register for Citizens (NRC) in any part of the country other than Assam. “The Centre is implementing the NRC in Assam as the Supreme Court has ordered to do so. No discussion has been held so far to implement it in any other parts of the country… and the government has no plan for that,” Muraleedharan said.
When asked about the police action, including firing at the protesters, the minister said it was natural that such things would happen when there was violence. Earlier in the day, three activists of the Youth Congress waved black flags at Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa as he arrived at the Thiruvananthapuram airport to board a flight to Kannur.
He arrived at the state capital last evening to offer prayers at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple. The activists, who were standing near the parking area, waved black flags at Yediyurappa and shouted at him to “go back” when his vehicle reached the airport.
Also read: Detained scribes released in Mangaluru after Pinarayi writes to Yediyurappa
Police said that the three were immediately arrested and removed.
Black flags were also shown to the chief minister at two other places in Kannur. Police had taken into custody at least 20 activists of the Youth Congress, for allegedly attempting to show black flags to the Karnataka chief minister in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday.
Hundreds of people, under the banner of the Muslim Coordination Committee, took out a protest march to Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the Governor here. Holding placards and banners saying “Protect secularism” and “No CAA… No NRC”, the protesters, including children, squatted on the road and raised slogans against the Centre and Governor Arif Mohammed Khan who repeatedly voiced support to the Act.
Youth League workers continued to lay siege to post offices in several places including Kasaragode and Kannur. Their march to the head post office and dharna turned violent in Kozhikode on Monday.
