We are eager to explain to SC our view on how anti-Constitution CAA is: Shaheen Bagh protestors

With the Supreme Court giving four weeks to the Centre to respond to pleas challenging the CAA, protestors at Shaheen Bagh here on Wednesday said they were eager to put forth before the judges their point of view on how unconstitutional the amended citizenship law is. Tasmin Bano, a resident of Shaheen Bagh who has been coming to the demonstration site along with her one-year-old daughter Umema since the protest began more than a month back, said they will not move from the spot unless the CAA is revoked.

"We have heard the Supreme Court has given time to the Centre and till that time they would not stay the CAA. We are also ready to prove our version and can tell the court how unconstitutional this law is," Bano said. Alexender Fleming, a protestor who was holding the Bible, said listening to only one party is not the way of solving an issue.

"They (the other petitioners) also need to be heard and we are ready for that. We have full faith that we will prove our stand on how anti-constitution this law is," he said. The Supreme Court made it clear on Wednesday that it would not stay the operation of the Citizenship Amendment Act without hearing the Centre and said a five-judge Constitution bench would decide the validity of the amended law.

Seeking response of the central government in four weeks on a batch of pleas challenging the CAA, the top court also restrained high courts in the country from proceedings with pending petitions on the issue. Tanvir Akhtar, a software developer who comes to the site everyday after work, said there are already 100 Shaheen Baghs across the country. "Till the time the law is not revoked, the protestors will not move an inch," he said.

Zeba Qasi, another protestor and local, alleged that the government is trying to "demean" this protest. "We all are here. We have come here for our rights and want the government to amend this. We have heard that 'Hindu Muslim Sikh Isai, hum sab hai bhai bhai'. If you will remove Muslim from this, then the poem will not be completed," she said, rebutting the charges that protestors at Shaheen Bagh are being paid.

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