Oppose CAA stronglyor else you will land up in detention centres: Prakash Ambedkar

Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar held a rally at Dadar against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and National Register for Citizens (NRC) on Thursday,

Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar held a rally at Dadar against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and National Register for Citizens (NRC) on Thursday, claiming that 16% of Maharashtra’s population doesn’t have the documents to prove their citizenship.

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“The choice is yours. You should oppose the Act strongly or be prepared to land up in detention centres,” Ambedkar warned those belonging to the nomadic tribes, adding about 40% of Hindus in India will be affected by the Centre’s move.

He alleged that the NRC was part of a conspiracy to keep dissenters out of public life. “These nomadic tribes were kept in detention camps for more than 90 years. Many had even been classified as “criminal caste” by then British government. They don’t know their village or their ancestors. How will they prove their citizenship,” asked Ambedkar. “Adivasis (tribals) and landless labourers have no documents. The whole aim is to subjugate this population, so the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) can continue to rule,” he said.

Protesters at the rally said they feared the NRC. “We live on the streets and have no fixed residence. We have no papers to prove our citizenship,” rued Ashok Jadhav, a street performer.

Ambedkar said their agitations against the NRC and CAA will also include the agenda of economic revival. “The economy is being slowed down, so that people get engrossed in earning their livelihood and have no time for agitation,” he said.

Political observer Hemant Desai said Ambedkar said: “The issue is tailormade for Ambedkar as the tribes are resentful of the NRC. Ambedkar is only adding to their anxiety by saying they will be thrown in detention camps.”

Ambedkar also taunted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, without naming him, for raking up the Savarkar issue. “What was the need to do this amid the chaos?”

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