Muslims in India were tired of having to prove their loyalty to India, they were Indians, leaders at a major rally against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) said at Gandhi Maidan in Mango on Thursday.

Over 5,000 people attended Thursday’s rally organised by Samvidhan Bachao Sangharsh Samiti.

One of the biggest such protests in Jharkhand, the event was held after the BJP lost all three urban Assembly seats in Jamshedpur — Jamshedpur East, Jamshedpur West and Jugsalai.

Though the protest meeting against the CAA and NRC at Gandhi Maidan had been scheduled 10 days ago, the gathering of protesters was greater than expected and the voices of antagonism louder.

“We are all Indians and will remain Indians, but the central government is trying to rule the country by dividing Hindus and Muslims by bringing in laws like the CAA and NRC,” a minority leader said at the packed Gandhi Maidan.

Saifuddin Asdaque, convener, Samvidhan Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, said: “The Centre is going to ask for evidence of our roots in this country. We Muslims are tired of proving ourselves as Indians. We are Indians. Now the central government has brought in the CAA and NCR for which we have already started a protest from here. The agitation against the CAA and NCR will be decisive.”

Those who addressed the meeting termed the CAA and NRC as kala kanoon and strongly opposed its implementation here in Jharkhand.

Representatives from various political and social organisation addressed the meeting. Prominent among those included journalist Shambhu Kumar Singh, advocate Abbu Bakr Sabbaque, president of Yadav Mahasabha Pratap Kumar Yadav, general secretary of the ST-ST Welfare Committee Rabindra Kumar Rajak, Adivasi Kudmi Samaj central committee president Ajit Mahto, Adivasi Samaj president Navin Murmu, and Congress leader Baldev Singh.

Many of the protesters, including women, were carrying placards and posters in protest against the CAA and NRC. The protesters also shouted slogans against the CAA and NRC, as well as PM Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah.

The protest meeting was held under tight security. A large number of police personnel had been deployed on Mango-Azadnagar Road, the road leading to Gandhi Maidan. Vehicular traffic movement through Mango-Azadnagar road was diverted through Daiguttu behind Hanuman Mandir much ahead of the meeting which began at 1 pm and ended by 5 pm.

Police also restrained a senior Vishwa Hindu Parishad activist Chandan Choubey and his followers at a little distance away from Gandhi Maidan when the protest meeting was on. Choubey and his group were carrying posters in support of the CAA and NCR. Choubey was taken to Ulidih police station in Mango, following which a large number of rightwing activists from the BJP, Bajrang Dal and Shiv Sena gheraoed the police station, demanding unconditional release of Choubey.

One of the activists demanded to know why Choubey was stopped. “If a section of people can hold a meeting against the CAA-NCR, then what is wrong if another section comes out in their support?” the activist asked.

Ulidih OC Chandrashekhar Kumar said they took Choubey in custody simply as a precautionary step, adding that the VHP activist was released right after the protest meeting was over.