Maharashtra mulls move against CAA
KERALA AND PUNJAB HAVE ALREADY PASSED RESOLUTIONS
After Kerala and Punjab, the Maha Vikas Agadi (MVA) government is also mulling over a resolution against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 in Maharashtra Assembly.
Congress spokesperson Raju Waghmare said: “Our leader Balasaheb Thorat has shared his stand on the CAA. Even Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has said that we are against the CAA. As far as the resolution against CAA is concerned, our senior leaders of MVA will sit together and decide.”
If this happens, then Maharashtra will be the third state to pass a resolution against CAA, which grants citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.
Emphasising that CAA is ‘unconstitutional,’ senior lawyer and Congress leader Kapil Sibal has said that every state Assembly has the constitutional right to pass a resolution and seek CAA’s withdrawal.
He added that it would be problematic to oppose the CAA if the law is declared to be ‘constitutional’ by the Supreme Court. “I believe the CAA is unconstitutional. Every State Assembly has the constitutional right to pass a resolution and seek its withdrawal. When and if the law is declared to be constitutional by the Supreme Court then it will be problematic to oppose it/The fight must go on!” Sibal tweeted.
Police seize blankets
Meanwhile in Lucknow, in visuals captured on mobile phones, policemen can be seen taking away blankets and boxes of food from the protest site on Saturday night amidst chaos.
The cops, some of them wearing helmets, were also seen taking away Styrofoam sheets meant to be spread on the ground for those who were to spend the night there. A video shot on Saturday night, also showed a woman protester running after some cops as she yells at them and asks, “Why are you taking the blankets?”
–Agencies
■
Who got citizenship?
“In the last six years, as many as 2,838 Pakistani refugees,
914 Afghanistani refugees, 172 Bangladeshi refugees including Muslims have been given Indian citizenship. From 1964 to 2008, more than 400,000 Tamils [from Sri Lanka] have been given Indian citizenship,” Sitharaman said at an event here, dubbed Programme on Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019.
She added, “During 2016-18 under Modi government, around 1,595 Pakistani migrants and 391 Afghanistani Muslims were given Indian citizenship.”
The minister, further, said, “It was also during the same period in 2016, that Adnan Sami was given Indian citizenship, this is an example. Giving citizenship to Taslima Nasreen is another example.”
Sitharaman added that people who came from the former East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) have been settled at various camps in the country.
“They are still there and it’s been 50-60 years now ... The situation is the same with Sri Lankan refugees who continue to live in camps. They’re barred from getting basic facilities,” she said.
This Citizenship (Amendment) Act is an attempt to provide people with a better life. We are not snatching away anyone’s citizenship.”