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BSP MLA suspended for pro-CAA remarks
Lucknow Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Sunday suspended party MLA Ramabai Parihar for supporting the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Lucknow Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Sunday suspended party MLA Ramabai Parihar for supporting the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Mayawati has been strongly criticising the new law, which seeks to grant citizenship to non-Muslim refugees who came to India before December 31, 2014, to escape religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
Ramabai, who represents Patheriya Assembly seat in Madhya Pradesh’s Damoh district, on Saturday evening supported the Citizenship (Amendment) Act at an event in her constituency where Union minister Prahlad Patel was present.
At the event, Ramabai said the Act should have come long ago, news agency IANS reported. Some people of Muslim community are spreading violence while opposing the law, she said. There are wiser people in the community who are not opposing and some leaders with vested interests are provoking others against the Act, IANS quoted her as saying.
Taking strong note of it, Mayawati, on Sunday tweeted, “The BSP is a disciplined party and it takes prompt action against its MPs and MLAs who break discipline. Taking this into account, the party suspends Madhya Pradesh’s Patheriya MLA Rama Bai Parihar for supporting CAA. She has been banned from taking part in the party functions.”
The party had voted against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in both houses of the Parliament.
A BSP delegation had also met President Ramnath Kovind and submitted a memorandum demanding withdrawal of CAA.
The party has two MLAs -- Sanjeev Singh Kushwaha and Ramabai -- in the 230 member Madhya Pradesh assembly.
Reacting to Mayawati’s tweet, Parihar said, “My statement on Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) has been distorted.” Talking to HT, she said, “I am a disciplined party worker and will continue with the BSP. I am trying to contact party national president Mayawati to put correct fact before her.”
In a separate tweet earlier in the morning, Mayawati condemned the “go to Pakistan” remark made purportedly by a police official in Meerut during protests against the amended citizenship law, calling it “unfortunate”.
The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also demanded a probe against police personnel involved in such incidents.
In a tweet, Mayawati said, “The Muslims who are living in Uttar Pradesh, and in the country are Indians, and not Pakistanis. During the CAA/NRC protests, the communal language used and comments made are extremely condemnable and unfortunate.”
In another tweet, she said, “In such a scenario, a high-level judicial probe of all the police personnel should be done, and they should be expelled from duty, if charges against them are found to be true. This is the demand of BSP.”
A row has erupted after a video showed a top police officer in Meerut saying protestors against the new citizenship law can “go to Pakistan”, drawing sharp criticism from various quarters with Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of infusing “communal poison” in institutions.
BSP chief demanded high level judicial inquiry against police personnel who made communal comments or statements during the protest. If the inquiry committee collects evidence against them or finds the officials guilty then the government should terminate the service of such policemen, she said.
(With agency inputs)
