'Mumbai Bagh' Protesters Want Maharashtra to Pass Anti-CAA Resolution

Mumbai: The women protesters, whose indefinite stir against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in a south Mumbai locality entered the third day on Wednesday, said they want the Maharashtra government to pass a resolution in the Assembly against the new law as done by a few other states.

Inspired by the ongoing women-led protest at Shaheen Bagh in Delhi against the new citizenship law, the protesters here have now started calling the site of their stir as "Mumbai Bagh".

More than 500 women and hundreds of men have been sitting on a road in Nagpada area since January 26 night against the CAA, the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the National Population Register (NPR).

The protesters are occupying Morland Road outside Arabia Hotel in Nagpada, a Muslim-dominated area. Most of the women participants are residents of Madanpura, Jhoola Maidan, Agripada and Mumbai Central areas.

Firoz Mithiborwala of 'Hum Bharat Ke Log' said, "Our 'Mumbai Bagh' protest, which is inspired by the Shaheen Bagh stir, has entered the third day. The total number of women, who take part in the protest throughout the day, is around one thousand. Besides, 300 men have also been taking part on a daily basis."

"We are determined to continue with the protest until the Modi government withdraws the draconian and unconstitutional CAA, NCR andR," he said.

"'Mumbai Bagh' has now become a symbol of communal harmony, peace and non-violent resistance. Women, youths and students have been taking part in the protest in large numbers," he said.

Fatima Khan, a student of law, said, "We want the Maharashtra government to pass a resolution in the state assembly against the CAA. We are here because of the Centre's move and won't move until the government withdraws the new citizenship law, NRC."

So far, Kerala, Rajasthan, Punjab and West Bengal have passed resolutions against the CAA. Another woman protester also made a similar demand. "As some other states have passed a resolution against the CAA, we want our state government to make a similar move," she said.