Pragatipara Dalita Okkutagala Mahasabha, a federation of Dalit organisations will take out a mega rally in Hubballi on Thursday to create awareness on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019.

Addressing presspersons here on Tuesday, convenors of the Mahasabha Chandrashekhar Gokak, Maruti Halaharavi, Mahendra Kautal, Parashuram Pujar and others said that the rally was aimed at clearing misconceptions among Dalits and Backward Classes about CAA. Mr. Gokak alleged that vested interests were misleading people particularly members of Scheduled Castes and Tribes saying that it would take away their citizenship and the burden of proving same would be on them, which was not true.

He said that before the Bill was tabled in the Parliament, elaborate discussions were held with over 140 NGOs, political parties and Chief Ministers of various States. “The Act will not curtail the citizens’ equal rights or a person’s individual rights. It will not curtail the religious rights of any citizen,” he said.

Mr. Gokak said that in the wake of misinformation campaign, the Mahasabha had already taken up awareness drives at various localities and already over 50 such meetings had been held in Hubballi.

It will begin from Ambedkar’s statue before the Head Post Office in Hubballi at 11 a.m. on February 13 and will conclude at the tahsildar’s office at Mini Vidhana Soudha in Hubballi. A memorandum supporting CAA will be submitted to the Prime Minister of India through the tahsildar, they said.