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IPS officer, who resigned in protest of CAA, urges people to take to streets democratically
He was speaking at a public meeting in Pune held by the Bahujan Ekta Mission’s Bhim Army at the Babasaheb Ambedkar Bhavan on Sunday
Abdur Rehman, an officer of the Indian Police Service (IPS), who tendered his resignation on social media platform, Twitter, in protest against the Citizen Amendment Act, urged citizens of India to raise their voice against the newly formed law, democratically.
He was speaking at a public meeting in Pune held by the Bahujan Ekta Mission’s Bhim Army at the Babasaheb Ambedkar Bhavan on Sunday.
“Jai Jyoti, Jai Bhim, Jai Shahu Maharaj,” said Rehman, before commencing his speech. “The Citizenship Amendment Act is completely unconstitutional. It violates Article 14 (equality before the law or equal protection of the laws), 15 ( fundamental rights), 25 (freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess, practice, and propagate religion subject to public order, morality and health) of the Constitution. On the basis on religion, it is spreading discrimination. The justice-loving citizens of the country should take to the streets and oppose it democratically and in a non-violent way,” said Rehman.
It is imperative to note that an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, Kannan Gopinathan, had also resigned to protest the clampdown in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370.
IPS Rehman has also vowed to join the citizens in the protests. “Wherever the people will invite me, I will go there and I will be part of the agitation,” he added.
When asked if he will be going to the North-Eastern states where the protests have turned violent, he said that he had not decided so far.
“I believe, that if a wrong law is passed using the strength of numbers, we cannot survive by following it. We will survive by opposing it. It has been this country’s history to bring down such big, wrong laws. This law is not just against Muslims, it is against every citizen who wants peace and progress for the country,” said Rehman as the room full of activists and politician erupted in applause.
“This is, but a small sacrifice in service of this country. Everyone should make a sacrifice be it in the form of time, money or joining forces with organisations that are opposing the law,” he said in his concluding remarks.
