Kolkata, Jan 27 (IANS): The Left parties and the Congress on Sunday held around 5,000 joint protest meetings against CAA and NRC across the West Bengal, including 65 in Kolkata, pledging to protect the Constitution.

All top Left Front and Congress leaders participated in the meetings held in all the municipal wards and gram panchayat areas in the state on Republic Day.

LF Chairman Biman Bose and state Congress chief Somen Mitra were the principal speakers at the meeting organised in central Kolkata's Entally area.

Bose administered a pledge to protect the Constitution, while Mitra joined the chorus.

In his speech, Bose called upon the people to hit the streets in huge numbers against the Citizenship Amendment Act, a proposed countrywide National Register of Citizens and the National Population Register.

"If protestors are stopped, then a bigger movement will be launched. The movement will continue against both the state's ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP," he said.

State CPI-M Secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra and former state Congress President Pradip Bhattacharya addressed another meeting held in South Kolkata's Dhakuria.