Aligarh/Moradabad (UP), Mar 24 (IANS): Even as anti-CAA protests in Lucknow and Deoband have been called off in view of the Corona scare, women protesters have continued their agitation, ignoring the appeals issued by religious leaders.
Hundreds of protesters gathered at the Eidgah in Moradabad on Sunday during the Janata Curfew call given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
At 5 p.m., when the entire country rang bells and beat 'thalis' to express their gratitude to Corona warriors, the protesters in Moradabad beat 'thalis' to express their protest against citizenship laws.
The Moradabad police have now decided to book the protesters who had gathered at Eidgah on Sunday.
Amit Kumar Anand, additional superintendent of police (city), said, "Around 500 protesters reached Eidgah ground and started a sit-in protest there. Their act may fuel the epidemic. We are going to book them under IPC section 188 (disobedience of order duly promulgated by a public servant) and other relevant sections for posing threat to others' lives."
One of the organizers at the sit-in site, Waqi Rashid, said, "Coronavirus cannot be controlled by a one-day curfew."
In Deoband, the home to one of the largest Islamic seminaries of the world, the anti-CAA protest was called off.
In Aligarh, over 500 women protesters are continuing with their sit-in against the Citizenship (amendment) Act (CAA). The protest against the CAA is going on at Aligarh's Shah Jamal Idgah ground since January 29.
The district administration had served a notice to the organizer two days ago asking them to vacate the place for 10 days amid coronavirus fears or "face legal action". However, neither the protesters nor the organizers have paid heed to it.
Aligarh district magistrate Chandra Bhushan Singh said, "Action will be taken against them."
The administration has, meanwhile, decided to screen people coming from Delhi, Noida, Agra and Mathura.
Public announcements are being made by the municipal corporation officials, urging people to stay indoors to combat the spread of Covid-19.