Around 20 women on Monday joined the dharna-cum- fast to protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR), which was launched at Nehru Maidan in Katras Mor of Jharia on Sunday.

Addressing around 150 people at the dharna site, Arfa Raza, 22, a second-year student of Dhanbad Law College, said: “We have not joined the dharna here because we are Muslims but we are here because we are socially aware citizens of the country who feel that the atmosphere of amity prevailing in the country since generations has been vitiated after 2014 when the BJP came into power at the Centre.”

She said the CAA-NRC-NPA combine was aimed at diverting the attention of common people from core issues such as unemployment, price rise, industry shutdowns and economic slowdown.

Md Jilani, a civil service aspirant, said the dharna and the fast was being organised as part of their democratic right to stage peaceful protests.

“The provisions of the NRC, the CAA and the NPR are against the ethos of the Constitution,” he added.

Meanwhile, the indefinite dharna at Wasseypur entered the fifth day on Monday. Addressing the agitators, social activist Hazi Zamir Arif said: “Our ancestors have born and died in this land, but now we are being asked to submit the proof of our citizenship, which is not at all justified.”