The FIR lodged in Galshaheed police station names 20 people and mentions 600 unidentified people who have been accused of shouting objectionable slogans.
MORADABAD: Police have registered an FIR against a group of protesters, mostly women, who have began an “indefinite” sit-in against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act at Eidgah Ground in Moradabad.
The FIR lodged in Ghalshaheed police station names 20 people and mentions 600 unidentified people who have been accused of shouting objectionable slogans.
Of the unnamed people, 400 are men while 200 are women.
A large number of police personnel have been deployed at the ground.
Moradabad District Magistrate Rakesh Singh said Section 144 of CrPC has been imposed and action will be taken on any “anti-social elements indulging in violence”.
“No permission was sought from the administration for the demonstration, so it is illegal but we are watching,” he said.
Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) prohibits assembly of four or more people in an area.
It is, however, being claimed that the Eidgah where they began their protest since Wednesday is a “private” place and the CrPC section does not apply to them.
The protesters claimed that the CAA and proposed National Register of Citizens were unconstitutional and their implementation will create communal tensions.
A woman activist, who did not want to be named, said the BJP government was trying to divert the attention from the public as it has not performed well.
Criticising the amended citizenship law, another activist said religion should not be the basis of allowing migrants into the country.
We are demanding for a withdrawal of the Act, she said.
Another woman said, “Many people from the Muslim community in Moradabad are top-class artisans in metalcraft and contribute towards high foreign currency earnings for the country. It would be difficult for many of them to prove they have jobs as they do not possess documents.”
