Women in Lucknow and Prayagraj have staged sit-in demonstrations in protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday lashed out at the Opposition for “misleading people over Citizenship Amended Act (CAA)” and triggering unrest in the country.
He drew a metamorphic parallel to the disrobing of Draupadi in the Mahabharata saying that the act by opposition parties is like “cheer haran” (disrobing) the country and asked people not be mute spectators and instead support the law that fast-tracks citizenship for non-Muslim refugees from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh who arrived in India before December 31, 2014.
“When cheer haran of Draupadi was done, nobody including Bhishma, Dronacharya spoke against atrocities on her. As they all watched the cheer haran silently, they were termed as equal sinners. Today the similar cheer haran of nation is being done,” he said at a pro-CAA rally in Gorakhpur.
“The act by opposition is like “cheer haran” of the nation as the country’s image is being maligned by rioters involved in loot, arson and vandalising public property. The atmosphere is being vitiated by pushing women into protests,” Adityanath said referring number of anti-CAA protests staged by women, including the 24-hour protests in Lucknow’s Clock Tower for last three days and one in Prayagraj Mansoor Ali park for a week now. Both these protests have been inspired by women of Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh who have been on a sit-in agitation since December 15.
The CM asked the audience to express their gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bringing the law, by sending him postcards.
“Tell him (PM) that the law which you have brought is in the interest of country, society and humanity and is in line of policy of India that follows Lord Rama’s principle – who so ever comes in your shelter should be saved.”
He said that after Ram temple, nullification of Article 370, CAA was the part of PM’s promise to address aspirations of the society and country during his second term. In his first term, the PM worked hard to work for poor, ensuring that the benefit of Government schemes reaches to every single individual regardless of religion, caste or sect.
“PM Modi gave benefit of schemes to all without any discrimination. So how come the law be termed as against anyone?”
The BJP has recently launched a mass outreach programme to drum up support for the CAA.
Last month, anti-CAA protesters had clashed with the police in Meerut and Bijnor and a few other places. Around two dozen people were killed in police firing and the government fined rioters to recover damages to public property.
The Opposition claims that the CAA is unconstitutional because it makes religion a test of citizenship.
Prasanta Patnaik