Members of the Muslim community here on Monday staged protests against the implementation of National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
The protestors carried Indian flags, black flags and placards that read "Say No to CAB". They raised slogans denouncing the newly-enacted Citizenship law (CAA) and against the government.
Protests erupted outside different junctions in the Vijayawada city and protestors threatened to initiate a statewide stir against the treatment given to the Muslim community.
"We will launch a mass movement across the state to raise our voice against the unjust changes made to the citizenship laws," a protestor, Shaheen told ANI.
"This Citizenship act overrule Article 14. We are completely against the NRC. The central government and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) are trying to shake the democratic foundation of the country," Nusrat, another protestor said.
The agitation will add to the swelling nationwide protests, which turned violent at several places, against the CAA which grants citizenship to refugees from Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Parsi communities fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, who arrived in India until December 31, 2014.