Violence not an answer: Modi on protests against Citizenship Act
Amid nationwide protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said people should not believe rumors and work towards maintaining peace and harmony. In a series of tweets, he said dissent has been the essence of our democracy but taking to violence to prove a point is not justified. He claimed "vested interests" shouldn't be allowed to divide us. Here's more.
Why are protests happening against the Citizenship Act?
To recall, the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was passed in the Parliament and received President's assent last week. This newly-implemented law will make it easier for persecuted non-Muslims of Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, to get Indian citizenship. But the exclusion of Muslims has led to many calling it bigoted. Meanwhile, Northeast residents believe this would increase immigration and affect the areas' demography.
As violence raged, PM Modi reminded Bill got majority
Breaking his silence on the violence, PM Modi said damaging public property and throwing normal life out of gear has never been part of India's ethos. He also reminded that the Bill got an overwhelming majority in Parliament (it got 125 votes in Rajya Sabha and 311 in the Lok Sabha). Further, he added the Act encompasses our country's culture of acceptance and compassion.
No Indian has to worry: PM Modi
In a bid to quell fears among Muslims, PM Modi wrote, "I want to unequivocally assure my fellow Indians that CAA does not affect any citizen of India of any religion. No Indian has anything to worry regarding this Act."
From Northeast, protest spilled to Delhi, Jamia witnessed unprecedented scenes
While Northeast burnt over CAB for days, the violence ascended in Delhi last weekend with students of Jamia Millia Islamia protesting on the streets. But yesterday, things went haywire when Delhi Police personnel stormed into the campus, thrashed students, and used tear-gas. 50 students were also detained. Videos and pictures showed barbarism of the cops, evoking sharp reactions from across the nation.
