Huge rally in India demands justice for Rohingya Muslims

Multiple organisations took to streets to protest against genocide in Myanmar

The Indian government was deplored by the United Nations for planning to deport around 40,000 Rohingyas who have been residing in India. Multiple organisations, mostly Muslim took to the streets of Kolkata to protest against the genocide in Myanmar on Monday.

Approximately 25,000 to 35,000 protesters marched from Park Circus to Rani Rashmoni Road - a distance of about five kilometers - and paralysed traffic. The slogans, banners and posters condemned Aung Sang Suu Kyi as strongly as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for visiting Myanmar last week but failing to raise the plight of the Rohingyas with the Nobel laureate, reports NDTV.



"Mr Narendra Modi is destroying the Indian culture of sheltering helpless people. He wants to deport Rohingyas when they are being killed in their homeland. We will not allow it, we want to tell Mr Modi that," shared Md Kamruzzaman of the All Bengal Minority Youth Federation, one of the main organisers of Monday's mega rally.

The rally ended in a mega meeting at Rani Rashmoni Road where the event took on a further political twist.

A representative told NDTV, "We are here to protest against the atrocities being perpetrated by the Myanmar government on Rohingyas. And the centre's total insensitivity about the violence on the people."

He further added saying, "Mr Modi did not raise the Rohingya issue with Aung Sang Suu Kyi deliberately. He is practicing divisive politics."



The Kolkata Police's Facebook page said "a religious procession" was causing a slowdown of traffic in many parts of the city. Asked if it was a religious procession one, Md Kamruzzam said, "This is a political rally. There is nothing religious about it. We want justice for Rohingyas."

A team of protesters went to the Myanmar consulate in Kolkata to submit a memorandum of demands.