Tricolour hoisted by people to protest against Citizenship Amendment Act, National Register of Citizens

Hyderabad: In a unique type of protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), some people in city have started hoisting the national flag atop their houses, in response to the call given by MIM supremo and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi.

In the streets of Old City, where green and saffron coloured flags were generally visible, this time one can see that the national flag fluttering over the terraces of most of the houses in areas under MIM influence. According to the residents, the flag has been erected after Owaisi asked the people during the protest meeting on Saturday that whoever were against the CAA and NRC, they must put national flag on terrace.

"Whatever he said on the issue is right and by this we, citizens, are proving to the government, without any document, that we belong to the India and we are the citizens of India," said Md Farooq, a resident of Tolichowki. While some others argued that they had been living in India for centuries and their forefathers were citizens of India. By erecting the national flag they were proving their loyalty towards the nation.

"At the time of partition, those who wanted to leave had left and whoever stayed behind remained loyal and their progeny will continue to hold fast to this," said Shaik Afzal, a resident of Riyasathnagar. Senior AIMIM leader and Riyasath Nagar division Corporator Mirza Saleem Baig also erected a flag on the terrace. He recalled that AIMIM Chief's appeal, who had hoped that national

flag flutters all over the houses as a mark of dissent and rejection of CAA and NRC. It may be mentioned here that during the protest meeting on Saturday evening oragnised by the AIMIM and United Muslim Action Committee at Darusssalaam on Saturday, Asaduddin Owaisi appealed that those who erected the flag would send a message to BJP and RSS that even after their death, the ideals of Gandhi, Ambedkar and Abul Kalam Azad remain alive in the country.