Ram Madhav on CAA: Misinformation has been spread to provoke violence

›

To the best of our knowledge, there was no high-handedness in UP. There were attempts by some sections to deliberately target police. RAM MADHAV, BJP national general secretary

SRINAGAR: BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav on Thursday blamed ‘opposition groups and some communal forces’ for instigating violence in the name of opposing the amendment in the citizenship act. He also alleged that there were attempts to create controversy on the National Population Register (NPR).

After watching a football match in Kashmir, Madhav addressed a press conference in Srinagar to assuage residents’ fears about CAA and NPR.

“A lot of misinformation has been spread to provoke people,” he said: “In many states attempts have been made to provoke violence. I want to tell the people of the country that this law was not made against anyone. Allegations that the law is discriminatory against Muslims are false,” he said.

Madhav said, “People who come to India for different reasons get citizenship after they fulfill certain criterion. For example, Adnan Sami was able to get citizenship after living here for many years.”

He said, “Sometimes, provisions are made to give citizenship to certain sections as it was done when Indians were expelled from Uganda. Therefore, people should not get influenced by the opposition and communal forces who are spreading violence across the country. People should read the act. There is nothing in it, which is against any religion or community. It is an inclusive act,” he said.

The BJP leader further added that NPR is not related to any citizenship register.

“It is an extension of census. We do census after every 10 years, according to which demographic data and residents’ data is collected in NPR. This process was started in 2010 by the UPA govt. It could not be carried out extensively and was subsequently revised in 2015,” he said.

He said that the government has decided to update NPR, keeping the 2012 census in mind. “This data is needed so that the government is able to take decisions on different schemes. Nowadays, many benefits may get directly transferred. When there is no updated data, how can the government benefit the people. In India, people get benefits on the basis of poverty not religion,” he said, adding that the people who were protesting were working against the interest of the poor.

He also rejected allegations of police high-handedness in Uttar Pradesh. “To the best of our knowledge, there was no highhandedness in UP. A large number of policemen were injured. There were attempts by some sections to deliberately target the police,” he said, while claiming that the allegations of vandalism against the police were wrong.

INTERNET TO BE RESTORED AFTER SECURITY REVIEW

Madhav said the leaders in Kashmir will be released after assessment by state administration. “It is an ongoing process. Several people have been released from house arrest or preventive detentions,” he said.

Madhav said the internet will also be restored once security was reviewed. He said, “Broadband services were slowly being restored to hotels,” he said.

He said the government was constantly in touch with the state administration to ensure interrupted power supply during winters.

He added that he will also talk to the IPL authorities to bring cricket to the Valley.