Pro- and Anti-CAA Kites Dot Gujarat Skies on Makar Sankranti
Image for representational use only.Image Courtesy : The Quint
Ahmedabad: While pro- and anti-CAA camps continue to hold their respective grounds, the ideological battle between the two groups was fought in the sky literally with kites on Tuesday in Gujarat on the occasion of Makar Sankranti.
The skies in the Western state virtually turned into a battleground with kite-flyers competing to knock out each other's kites bearing messages like "We Support CAA" and "I Am Against CAA".
They comprised local leaders and supporters of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and opposition Congress as well as common people and members of civil society.
Kites with the messages for and against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) printed on them were distributed in thousands in the state, where kite-flying is the main takeaway of the Makar Sankranti celebrations.
The kites with messages like "India Against CAA", "No NPR, No NCR", "Save Constitution, Save India", "Hindu-Muslim Bhai Bhai, NRC-CAA Bye Bye" were distributed by members of civil society among students and common people.
Ruling BJP seems to also have used the occasion to spread a message in support of the new citizenship law that has stirred politics in the country in a major way.
A BJP leader from Rajkot said that he had distributed 50,000 kites with messages "We Support CAA" in that city.
Chief Minister Vijay Rupani flew one such kite with a pro-CAA message from the rooftop of a residential society at Khokhra locality in Ahmedabad.
Congress leaders also used kites to criticise the government over issues like rising inflation, unemployment, CAA and NRC.
"Inflation, economic slowdown, unemployment, rising crimes against women are major contemporary issues in Gujarat. We hope that the kites we fly on the occasion of Uttarayan will take away the pain of the people and will destroy these demons," Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Paresh Dhanani said.
Meanwhile, police stepped up patrolling and combing in sensitive areas in Ahmedabad.
Teams of Rapid Action Force and State Reserve Police Force were also deployed on streets in Ahmedabad, a senior official said.
In Vadodara, police conducted flag marches in sensitive areas.
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