Page 37 - 31JAN2020E4

CITIZENSHIP

immediate withdrawal. party was trying to instigate the minority of a sliding economy for which the Modi
The Congress is aware that the CAA- community. Congress leader Priyanka government must be made accountable.
NRC protests across states have been Gandhi has been visiting the victims of “We the undersigned leaders of political
largely people driven with a large num- the police action against the protesters parties express our grave concerns at the
ber of students speaking against the in Uttar Pradesh in an attempt to revive alarming deterioration in the livelihood
allegedly divisive move. While there was the party in the politically crucial state. status of the vast majority of our people
an opportunity to mobilise the young As the battle lines have become due to the complete mismanagement of
voters over the issue, the sharper with both the BJP and the Con- the Indian economy by the Modi govern-
operational challenge be- gress digging in their heel over the issue, ment,” a resolution passed at the opposi-
fore the Congress was to the opposition party had to field former tion meet read.
keep the issue alive in the minister of state for home in the UPA
future so that the party is government Ajay Maken to defend the he Opposition leaders main-
able to pressure the BJP National Population Register introduced tained that instead of addressing
into taking it back. by it in 2010. The Congress explained how T these issues and providing relief
Sensing opportunity to its population register was different from to the people the BJP had embarked
present itself as the only the Modi government’s NPR which was on a dangerous course of sharpening
national alternative to organically linked to the NRC. The anti- communal polarization and attacking
the ruling BJP and to reaf- democratic rights and Constitutional
firm its secular creden- guarantees of the people affecting mil-
tials before the electorate, lions of people and marginalized com-
the grand old party had munities. “The Citizenship Amend-
The anti-CAA-NRC
staged protest marches “ ment Act (CAA) was passed without any
across states on December meaningful deliberations in the Parlia-
28, 2019 its 134 th foun- battle is set to escalate in ment by the BJP exercising its electoral
dation day. Led by party the coming weeks as majority in a tyrannical fashion. The
interim chief Sonia Gandhi CAA, NPR and NRC is a package that
in Delhi, senior Congress several Opposition ruled is unconstitutional, which specifically
leaders read Preamble of states have passed targets the poor, the downtrodden, the
the Constitution in states in SC/STs and the linguistic & religious
public to highlight how the resolutions in their minorities. The NPR is the basis for the
BJP was bent upon violating respective assemblies NRC. We demand the withdrawal of the
the basic principles of the CAA and the immediate stoppage of the
sacred document which against the divisive nationwide NRC/NPR,” said the opposi-
guides India’s parliamen- law and the Supreme tion resolution.
tary democracy by bringing The Opposition parties charged
in laws like the CAA and the Court is examining the that deaths of peaceful protesters had
proposed NRC, which was occurred in BJP ruled states like Uttar
allegedly aimed at isolating constitutional validity Pradesh (21), Assam (5) and Karnataka
the Muslims. Former Congress chief Ra- of the controversial (2) and slammed police brutalities in
hul Gandhi used the occasion to address universities, institutes of higher learn-
a huge rally in BJP-ruled Assam where move “ ing and other research bodies across
the Supreme Court monitored NRC the country. Aiming to keep the protests
proved to be a disaster last year. Con- going, the Opposition parties drafted a
gress insiders averred the party was get- schedule under which joint marches will
ting oxygen from the ongoing protests CAA-NRC battle is set to escalate in the be held on January 23, the birth anniver-
but it must avoid falling in the polarisa- coming weeks as several Opposition sary of freedom fighter Netaji Subhash
tion trap laid out by the ruling BJP which ruled states have passed resolutions in Chandra Bose, January 26, the Republic
has been claiming that the purpose of their respective assemblies against the Day and January 30, the martyrdom day
the CAA was to give citizenship to the divisive law and the Supreme Court is of father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi.
Hindus facing religious persecution in examining the constitutional validity of They urged the citizens to join hands with
Muslim majority countries like Pakistan, the controversial move. the opposition parties who were trying
Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The Opposition parties are also con- to uphold constitutional values from the
The BJP which appears to be pander- cerned that too much media atten- BJP-led centre’s mis-governance.
ing to its Hindutva constituency, has tion over the CAA-NRC may take away
been constantly charging the opposition focus from an equally important issue LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM

37