CM Yogi likens opposition campaign against new law to ‘chir haran’
GORAKHPUR: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath said on Sunday the opposition parties were ‘misleading people’ and betraying the nation over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Addressing a rally in support of the CAA at Gorakhpur’s Maharana Pratap Inter College ground, the chief minister said, “When the ‘chir haran’ (disrobing) of Draupadi was done by Kauravas, nobody, including Bhishma and Droncharya, spoke against the atrocity on her. All those who witnessed the ‘chir haran’ silently were termed as equal sinners.
“Today, the act of opposition parties can also be dubbed as ‘chir haran’ of the nation. The image of the country is being maligned by loot, arson, vandalism and burning of public property.” Insisting that the opposition was trying to vitiate the country’s atmosphere by putting women on front of these protests, the CM appealed to people to not remain a mute spectator but lend support to the Act, which envisaged Indian citizenship for persecuted non-Muslims from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
The CM was referring to series of anti-CAA protests staged by women in Lucknow’s Ghantaghar, Prayaragraj’s Mansoor Ali Park and Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh. He also asked the audience to express gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bringing the law by sending him postcards.
“Tell him (PM) that the law is in the interest of nation, society and humanity.”
He said that after nullification of Article 370 and paving way for Ram temple construction, the CAA was the third promise that Modi fulfilled in his second term as prime minister.
“In his first term, he worked hard for the poor and the downtrodden and ensured that benefits of government scheme reach all, irrespective of caste, religion, or sect. When the PM didn’t discriminate in giving benefits of schemes, how can the new law be against anyone,” he asked.
To tell the crowd why CAA was necessary, Yogi invoked Jogendra Nath Mandal, a Dalit leader who became first law minister of Pakistan after partition but escaped to India following his harassment.
The chief minister also claimed that no Muslim was being harassed in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan but non-Muslims continue to face persecution.
“The population of Muslims in India has risen from three crores to 21 crores after independence but the population of Hindus in Pakistan in the same period has declined from 23% to just 1%. What is behind it if not persecution?” the chief minister asked.