Mangaluru : Udupi district Khazi Alhaj Bekala Ibrahim Musliyar inaugurated the massive protest and Dua was offered by Dakshina Kannada district Khazi Alhaj Twaka Ahmed Musliyar on Wednesday, January 15, 2020 at city outskirts in Adyar-Kannur.

Several Muslim organisations, Congres leaders and other like minded leaders take part in peace rally against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019 and National Register of Citizens (NRC).

“The government is trying to instill fear in civil society and people will be scared to a certain extent, but eventually citizens will take to the streets. Amit Shah said he will not step back an inch on CAA but he is saying that after going two kilometres back,” former IAS officer Kannan Gopinathan said while speaking at the event.

“This is not just a Muslim protest. A Hindu rashtra is not just against Muslims in the country but also against Dalits and women. Unemployment and onion prices are at an all-time high. When the situation is like this, the government is asking you to identify yourself and not ask questions,” human rights activist Shivasundar said while speaking at the protest.

On Wednesday, more than 5,000 police personnel were deployed in Mangaluru. Activist Harsh Mander and retired Supreme Court judge Gopal Gowda, who chaired a People’s Tribunal in Mangaluru following the police firing, also addressed the protesters.

Protesters gathered on the roads leading to Adyar Kannur on the outskirts of Mangaluru. Witnesses said that the road from Padil to Adyar Kannur, a distance of more than 3 km was blocked off by protesters.

MLA U T Khader, MLC B M Farooq, former MLA B A Mohiuddin Bava, Advocate Sudheer Kumar Maroli, president of Muslim Central Committee K S Mohammed Masood, Ullal Qazi Fazal Koyamma Tangal, Dakshina Kannada district Wakf Committee president U K Monu Kanachur, Sunni Youth Federation state general secretary Dr Abdul Rashid Zaini, and Karnataka Samastha Mushavara state secretary U K Abdul Aziz Darimi were present.

Hundreds of people took out bike rally, waving the national flag to reach the protest venue at the Shah Grounds in Kannur, Adyar.

Notably, people were also seen arriving in boats from Kottepuru in Ullal here. Most of the shops in the Central market, an otherwise bustling area remained shut extending their support to the protest.

As many as 28 organizations, including the SKSSF, SDPI, PFI, SSF, Congress have supported the protest.

More than 3000 police personnel have been deployed in the area to maintain the law-and-order situation.

Earlier on Tuesday, the police issued a traffic advisory for the general public as well as guidelines to be followed by the event organizers.