Bengaluru: /strong> Buses packed with people coming to a protest site isn't unusual, but when boats crossed the Netravathi, with the Tricolcours flying high, it became a spectacle to remember.
The Muslim Central committee's call for protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens saw lakhs of people gather at the Shah Gardens Adyar in Kannur on the outskirts of Mangalore in Karnataka on Wednesday with many of them taking boats to reach the venue.
Over 33 organisations, led by the committee, participated in the protest demonstration. Security was beefed up around the city to ensure no untoward incident like December 19 are repeated.
"We had instructed the crowd that we have to show our strength in unity. For the first time we saw over 3 lakh people coming together and not indulging in any unnecessary sloganeering, only Azad Hindustani and Jana Gana Mana was chanted and sung," said KS Mohammad Masood, president of the committee.
Former IAS officers Harsh Mander and Kannan Gopinathan, retired Supreme Court judge V Gopal Gowda and human rights activist Shivasundar among others addressed the mammoth crowd.
Mangalore Police Commissioner PS Harsha, who has been under pressure ever since the rioting took place in the coastal town in December, had deputed additional enforcement of 3,000 personnel to ensure the event goes on peacefully.
A pro-CAA rally was also planned by some groups but that has been off in anticipation that Amit Shah could be visiting and participating in such a rally later this month.
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