Singhvi dares Prasad to arrest Cong leaders for opposing CAA
NEW DELHI: The Congress on Friday dared Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to arrest its leaders for opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act , minutes after the minister lashed out at the principal opposition party for reminding the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party about its “raj dharma” (duty) to protect and work for all faiths.
Senior Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi emphasised that the Congress is speaking peacefully in a democratic country.
“NRC is wrong. If you think that is sedition, if you thing that is anti-national, if you think that is provocation and incitement, I think it is a matter of shame,” Singhvi said.
His reference is to the National Register of Citizens which, it was feared, would be conducted nationally and used in tandem with the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) to exclude minorities. The government has since clarified that there are no immediate plans for a NRC (walking back on previous comments by its ministers that there will be one).
The Congress also maintained that the constitution of SIT to probe the communal riots in Delhi is far from satisfactory and that authorities responsible for this riot must resign.
Delhi Police reports to the Union home ministry headed by Amit Shah and the Congress has called for his resignation.
“Unsatisfactory seems to be the weakest way to explain the actions of the Delhi police, its leaders, NIA and the union home minister in the context of these violence. We are extremely disappointed and condemn their attitude. We want their resignations,” Singhvi added.
When asked if the Congress would support the Aam Aadmi Party’s demand for a court-monitored investigation, Singhvi didn’t give a direct answer, and said the issue can be discussed only after the people who have spread hate and filed cases selectively against one side have tendered their resignation.
On Thursday, a Congress delegation led by Sonia Gandhi called on President Ram Nath Kovind and urged him to seek Shah’s resignation and remind the government of its “raj dharma”.
Singhvi also drew a distinction between the Upa-era National Population Register and that of the NDA regime. He reminded that during UPA there was no NRC and that questions have come up about the link between NPR and NRC.