Weaponisation of OCI cards shocking: Overseas Congress
Prime Minister is characterising his NRI critics as anti-nationals, says leader of Indian Overseas Congress; party will repeal controversial Citizenship law in its first session if it comes to power, says Chidambaram
The Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) has expressed shock over the “weaponisation” of Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards to “silence” opponents.
Addressing a press conference on Sunday, the IOC leaders said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was characterising his non-resident Indian (NRI) critics as anti-nationals.
They also deplored the “increasing attacks on minorities and their institutions by the governing disposition to marginalise and remove them from the public eye.”
They alleged that the Modi administration was misusing laws like the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) as tools “to fulfil their odious political agenda.”
The IOC, led by the Us-based Sam Pitroda, the architect of India’s telecom revolution, is the official affiliate of the Indian National National Congress.
Stressing the need for free and fair elections across India, they said they would continue their campaign for a voter-verified paper audit trail on every electronic voting machine.
They expressed “serious concerns over the dismantling of the institutions that provided stability and strength to India’s Constitution.”
They alleged that the people are being discriminated against based on their caste, creed, language, religion or region under the Modi administration.
They reminded the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is seeking a third term in power that the Constitution guarantees every citizen “democracy, freedom, and equal justice.”
“We are greatly alarmed by the onslaught on civil society and related institutions,” Congress party secretary in charge of IOC, Dr Aarathi Krishna, said.
The institutions are meant to serve more significant public interests that are being systematically bullied or removed to the detriment of the common interests.”
Elections will be held in all 20 parliamentary constituencies in Kerala on Friday in the second phase, along with 55 other constituencies spread across India.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram said his party will repeal the controversial law discriminating against Muslims while granting citizenship.
“The Citizenship Amendment Act will be repealed in the first session of Parliament after INDIA (Congress-led Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) forms the (national) government,” he said.
“There is a long list of laws among which five laws will be absolutely repealed. Take it from me: I am the chairman of the manifesto committee. I wrote every word of it, I know what the intention was. The CAA will be repealed, not amended. We have made it clear.”
Dismissing Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s claims that the Congress has not opposed the law, he said Dr Shashi Tharoor has spoken against the CAA in Parliament.
Accusing Modi of compromising on national security on the border security, he said the government was hiding the truth from the people that “thousands of square kilometres of Indian land was occupied by Chinese troops.”
“That’s a fact testified by the MP from Ladakh-the fact testified by the Arunachal
Pradesh citizens. Therefore, to say that they have secured our borders is a complete lie,” he said.
He said freedom of speech and expression had gravely eroded during the 10 years of Modi’s rule and urged the people to restore democracy.
“The BJP constituted the manifesto in 14 days, which is not titled manifesto. They called it Modi’s guarantee,” he said.
“The BJP is no longer a political party. It has become a cult, and the cult worships Narendra Modi. It will lead to dictatorship,” he said.
He said if Modi was voted back to power for a third time, he might amend the Constitution.
Turning to the Kerala chief minister, he said Vijayan and his Communist Party of India (Marxist) were fighting this election in Kerala as if it were limited to the state.
“And from a national point of view, who is better placed to fight the BJP and form a government in Delhi?” he asked.
“Who is better placed to fight the BJP across India? It is obviously the Congress and not the CPI (M). CPI (M) is literally a single state party now.”