Janata Curfew: Appreciation claps supress anti-CAA calls

A few people with the anti-CAA posters on Sunday

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a national call asking people to clap and appreciate those working in essential services against the COVID-19 pandemic, another call was issued to protest against the CAA, NRC and NPR. Messages were being circulated on social media encouraging people to shout slogans or hold placards against NRC, NPR and CAA soon after appreciation claps on Sunday evening.

However, the second appeal received a far lesser response as the movement never gathered pace on social media.

The messages circulated online

Soon after Modi's national call, messages started circulating on social media regarding 'national call for protest from home.' The messages encouraged supporters to shout slogans such as 'Go NRC, Go CAA, No NRC, No CAA' after appreciation claps on Sunday evening. Participants were also asked to share a 30-second video of the same with #No_CAA_NRC_NPR. Mumbai against CAB, an organisation protesting against the CAA has also appealed people at large to initiate a Twitter storm on social media at the same time.

When contacted, a member of Mumbai against CAB, said, "Videos and photos were shared after the event on social media as well as also internally in the group. There were many tweeting about it too." Adding to this, a member from Alliance against CAA, NRC, NPR Mumbai Chapter, said, "The call was just a social media activity. There was no widespread publicity. Hence people have responded to it in their personal capacity."

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates