Anti-CAA Protests LIVE: Massive Rallies Lined up as Modi Reaches Kolkata Today; Cong Churns Out New Strategy

• Modi will be on a two-day visit to the city from January 11 and will arrive in the city in the evening. As per protocol, he will be staying at Raj Bhawan.

• The Congress top brass in New Delhi is also expected to discuss the CAA, NCR and violence at university campuses, including at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), at a meeting at the party’s Akbar Road headquarters where Sonia Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi will be present.

• The Mumbai Congress, on its part, will start a public outreach movement to inform people about the flaws in the CAA, NRC and National Population Register (NPR). The CWC, the party’s highest decision-making body, will come out with a resolution highlighting its future strategies on these issues, said sources.

• In a gazette notification, the Union Home Ministry said the Act under which non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan will be given Indian citizenship will come into force from January 10. “In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of the section 1 of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (47 of 2019), the Central government hereby appoints the 10th day of January, 2020, as the date on which the provisions of the said Act shall come into force,” the notification said.

• Meanwhile, due to security concerns, the authorities on Friday advanced the arrival of PM Modi to the Kolkata airport by an hour in order to enable him to take a helicopter ride to the city proper. He was earlier scheduled to arrive at 5 pm and go straight to the Old Currency Building in central Kolkata for an official programme. He will now arrive by an Indian Air Force flight at 4 pm and then be flown in a helicopter to the city’s Race Course.

• Some Muslim organisations in Kolkata have also called for a rally at Rani Rashmoni Road at a stone’s throw from Raj Bhawan against the CAA and NRC at around 1 pm.

• Although the CPI(M) and Congress, didn’t disclose the timings of their protests but have announced that protest would take place across the city and black flags would be shown to the prime minister.

• The Trinamool Congress has also decided to make human chains at various parts of the South Kolkata against CAA and NRC.

• Modi will arrive here on Saturday for a two-day visit to West Bengal amid ongoing protests over the new citizenship law, with the state administration claiming a “foolproof” security cover has been put in place to thwart attempts to create disturbance.’Tiranga Rally’ against CAA taken out in Hyderabad

• On Friday, thousands of people marched with the national flag as part of ‘Tiranga Rally’, an anti-CAA protest led by AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi. Shops and establishments near Charminar downed shutters in support of the rally organised by the United Muslim Action Committee, comprising various Muslim groups.

• The rally which would cover a distance of about three km from Mir Alam Eidgah to Shastripuram began around 1 p.m. “Nahi Chalega Nahi Chalega CAA Nahi Chalega. Hindustan Zindabad,” protesters chanted slogans holding placards.

• The city police made elaborate arrangements and also regulated traffic in the old city.

• Owaisi claimed that the huge number of protestors, by attending the rally, had sent out a message to Modi that the people of Hyderabad have rejected CAA.

• He asked the gathering if they would show documents like Aadhar if government officials or police asked for it. “If anybody comes from government or police and asks for Aadhar card, will you show Aadhar card or not? You will not show? Will you show documents? Will you show Aadhar card. What will you show? You will say I belong to Bharat..,” he said.