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No discussion on NRC in House, Cabinet yet: Modi
Modi said his government did not discuss the issue of NRC in Parliament or the Union Cabinet, and that the exercise was carried out in Assam following the Supreme Court’s order.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday the amended citizenship act and proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) do not go against the Muslim citizens of India, as he accused political rivals of stoking violence during protests across the country that have claimed at least 24 lives since Parliament approved the new law on December 11.
Modi said his government did not discuss the issue of NRC in Parliament or the Union Cabinet, and that the exercise was carried out in Assam following the Supreme Court’s order. Opposition parties later retorted to the PM’s remark, saying his statement contradicted home minister Amit Shah’s recent pitch for a nationwide NRC.
Many areas remained tense on Sunday in Uttar Pradesh, where the death toll in violent clashes has climbed to 18 over the past week, even as peaceful protests were held in some parts of Delhi, including Jantar Mantar. The new law, which promises citizenship to non-Muslim minorities from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, has roiled the North-east over fears of influx of illegal immigrants and invited allegations of divisive politics from opposition parties.
Kicking off the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) campaign at the Ramlila Maidan ahead of next year’s elections in the Capital, Modi sought to reach out to those protesting against the citizenship legislation. “The law does not impact 1.3 billion Indians... Muslims who are sons of the soil and whose ancestors are the children of mother India need not to worry, the citizenship law and NRC will have nothing to do with them,” Modi said at the rally that was attended by thousands of BJP supporters.
The government has maintained that the Citizenship
(Amendment) Act (CAA) merely fast-tracks citizenship for persecuted minorities from the three neighbouring countries, but there are fears that CAA will be followed by a nationwide NRC, which will require residents of India to prove their citizenship. A Supreme Court-ordered NRC excluded 1.9 million people, including lakhs of Hindus, in Assam in the final list released this year.
Modi said that the Congress, its allies and “urban Naxals” living in cities were spreading lies that all Muslims will be sent to detention centres, denying that such centres existed. “Just read up on what CAA and NRC are once. Those who still have a delusion, I will say to them that rumour of detention centres spread by the Congress and urban Naxals is a complete lie,” he said in his address that lasted one hour and 37 minutes.
Modi said that the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) governments had mooted the idea of NRC. He added that his government has not discussed it so far either in Parliament or in the Union Cabinet.
“Several rumours have been floating around about the NRC. The NRC was first implemented in Assam after an order from the Supreme Court. No rules for the NRC have been framed; it has not been introduced in Parliament. Then why are such narratives being built around it?” he said.
At the election rally, where he also attacked the Aam Aadmi Party over alleged dirty drinking water and inaction over unauthorised colonies, Modi said that his government introduces reforms without any religious bias. “In the last five years, our government constructed houses for 15 million poor citizens. We never asked anyone what their religion was. Then why are people lying and misleading the country?” he said at the rally, which saw heightened security, days after violent clashes between the police and protesters rocked the national capital.
Uttar Pradesh has reported the highest death toll in protests that have taken place in the aftermath of this month’s passage of the CAA. The deaths came after violent protests at Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia, and the Aligarh Muslim University, with the students alleging police brutality at the two campuses on December 15.
Violent protests began in the North-east and spread to several states across the country, with several reports of arson and police firing. On Sunday, a number of peaceful protests against the CAA were held in the Capital as police maintained a strict vigil. While a group carried out “solidarity march” in south Delhi, protesters gathered again at Jantar Mantar for demonstrations against the new law. Rallies were also held in Nizammudin and Connaught Place.
The Prime Minister referred to the violent protests in his speech at the Ramlila Maidan. “When I see those protesting the CAA with bricks and stones in their hands, I am pained. But when I see some people with the tricolour among the same crowd, I also feel relieved,” he said. He said he was confident that the tricolour will also inspire people to raise voices against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in the country.
“The police personnel at whom you are throwing stones, what will you gain out of injuring them? After Independence, more than 33,000 police personnel have sacrificed their lives for peace and your security,” the PM added. “If you have any problem with Modi, then you are free to oppose Modi, burn my effigies or hurl abuses at me. But please do not damage public property,” Modi said.
He said some elements have tried to push Delhi and other cities into an atmosphere of fear and anarchy. “There is a need to identify the people who are selling lies and spreading rumours… These are two types of people: one, whose politics has relied on vote bank for decades; second are those who have benefited from this kind of politics.”
“After the passage of the (citizenship) bill, some political parties are spreading various rumours and trying to incite people.”
Shortly after the PM’s speech on Sunday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused Modi and home minister Amit Shah of “dividing” the country and hiding behind hate. “Dear Youth of India, Modi and Shah have destroyed your future. They can’t face your anger over the lack of jobs and damage they’ve done to the economy. That’s why they are dividing our beloved India and hiding behind hate. We can only defeat them by responding with love towards every Indian,” Gandhi tweeted.
The Congress said that the PM had mastered the art of doublespeak. “…The home minister’s statement in both the houses in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha is in the public domain, where he said that the NRC will be brought in. That has to be then duly clarified. It is not the Opposition that has created an environment of fear; the government is responsible,” said senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Anand Sharma.
Accusing opposition leaders of pandering to vote bank politics, Modi named several leaders – former prime minister Manmohan Singh, former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Prakash Karat.
Reacting to the PM’s remark, Gehlot said he was “misleading the country in my name”.
The Prime Minister also hit out at West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee over her opposition to the amended citizenship law and the proposed nationwide NRC, accusing her of changing her earlier stand on infiltrators due to “vote bank” politics.
Banerjee used to plead in Parliament to stop Bangladeshi infiltrators from coming to West Bengal and seek help for persecuted refugees from the neighbouring country, but she changed her stand now due to political reasons, Modi said at the BJP rally.
Banerjee hit back at the PM after his speech, saying that he was contradicting the home minister’s remarks that a nationwide NRC will be brought.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, meanwhile, urged the Union government to organise a meeting of all chief ministers and political parties to find solutions with regard to a range of issues.
“Let’s concentrate on jobs, inflation and economy pl. People are in distress. They need urgent measures I urge Centre to call a meeting of all CMs n all parties, take everyone in confidence and find urgent solns,” he tweeted.
Modi also said that his opponents resented him for his work that strengthened India’s ties to Iran, Saudi Arabia and other Islamic countries.
“Whether it is Palestine, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE or Jordan, India’s relations with many nations are touching new heights.”
“Mahatma Gandhi had said that the Sikhs and Hindus living in Pakistan will always be welcome in India. This (Citizenship) Act is in line with that promise,” he said.
