Protest against NRC, CAA
BJP spreads Hate, says Rahul Gandhi
Agencies, New Delhi
Leader of Indian National Congress Rahul Gandhi yesterday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests across the country, saying the prime ministers only job is to divide people and spread hate. He also hit out at Modi for destroying Bharat matas powers with decisions like demonetisation and GST. Addressing a rally in Guwahati in Assam, Rahul Gandhi said PM Modi has destroyed Bharat matas power with DeMo and GST but he would not speak on this.
His [PM Modi] only job is to divide people and spread hate, the congress leader said. India has witnessed a number of protests in Assam and other parts of the country ever since the Narendra Modi-led government brought in a law that aims to grant citizenship to Hindus, Christians, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhist immigrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The government has been at the receiving end of the criticism regarding the non-inclusion of the Muslim immigrants from the three said nations.
Rahul Gandhi also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of not listening to the voice of the people as protests against the Citizenship Act entered its third week. Wherever BJP goes, the party spreads hate, the congress leader said. Earlier, attacking the government over the issue of the National Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), Rahul Gandhi yesterday said these exercises will be more disastrous than demonetisation in November 2016.
The basic idea of these exercises is to ask all poor people whether they are Indian or not, he told reporters on the sidelines of the flag-hoisting ceremony at the All India Congress Committee headquarters in New Delhi on the occasion of 135th foundation day of the party. Even as restrictions on gatherings under section 144 of the CrPC are being imposed in several parts of India, a number of protests have been planned against the CAA at Delhis Jamia University, Shaheen Bagh, India Gate and Zakir Nagar yesterday. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made a day-long visit to Assam yesterday to extend the partys solidarity to the people protesting against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
Every day since the bill was passed in the parliament on December 11, thousands of people have been taking part in demonstrations, braving chilly winter temperatures to protest against the new law. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday justified his governments crackdown on agitations against the Citizenship Amendment Act, saying that the action has shocked every protester into silence. The tweet was a reference to the governments decision to make protesters pay up for public property destroyed in Uttar Pradesh. As many as 21 people died in violent clashes that erupted in the state.
The CAA, for the first time, makes religion the test of citizenship in India. The government says it will help minorities from three Muslim-dominated countries get citizenship if they fled to India before 2015 because of religious persecution. Critics say it discriminates against Muslims and violates the secular principles of the constitution.
In Kerala, congress organises held a protest march demanding suspension of amended Act. Intensifying its protest against the controversial CAA, the Congress in Kerala took out a Maha Rally to the Raj Bhavan yesterday, demanding the suspension of the amended law and to stop NRC. Addressing party workers, Former Union Finance minister P Chidambaram said the partys demand was to suspend CAA and completely stop NRC.
Our demand is to suspend CAA and to completely stop NRC. These are our demands and we will continue to fight until they are met, the Congress leader said. Describing the CAA and NRC as most unconstitutional and illogical, P Chidambaram said he was confident that the Supreme court would strike it down. The Citizenship Amendment Act destroys the very basis of our Constitution. If they had two-thirds majority in parliament, they would have amended the Constitution, the Congress leader claimed. Meanwhile, large gatherings have been banned in Ayodhya till February 25.
