Cong leader seeks judicial probe into handling of CAA protests
LUCKNOW: Congress MP Anand Sharma on Thursday questioned the BJP government’s stance on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and demanded a judicial inquiry into handling of protests, the police firing and the situation that developed thereafter.
Sharma, who is deputy leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha, said, “The Union government already has powers to grant citizenship. There is no point in the argument that CAA has been brought to grant citizenship to persecuted minorities. The Constitution of India does not permit discrimination on religious lines….The government’s argument that lakhs of people are waiting for citizenship does not hold ground. There may only be 30,000 such people.”
Sharma, who was speaking to reporters here, said in a civil society people would continue to protest till justice was done to them.
He targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not saying anything to console the families of those who died in violent protests against the CAA.
“The PM is expected to console people in such a situation. The people have the right to raise their point. The government and the administration, however, have created such a situation,” said Sharma.
He also questioned the Centre for changing the basis for the National Population Register, saying four additional points have been added to the 2010 exercise.
He said the country was facing a serious economic crisis and it was not just a slowdown. Modi was, however, talking about the goal of making India a $ 5 trillion dollar, he said.