UMAR SPOKE OF TRIGGERING DELHI RIOTS: FADNAVIS

Mumbai: BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday claimed former JNU student leader Umar Khalid gave a anti-CAA speech in Maharashtra’s Amravati last month saying violence should be triggered in Delhi during US President Donald Trump’s visit. Mr Fadnavis, who said several anti-CAA protests were staged to create anarchy, also alleged that two ministers were present in this programme where Khalid spoke. Demanding that the state government take action against Mr Khalid, Mr Fadnavis said, “I exposed (in the House) how the state government is not making clarification on CAA, NRC and NPR to ensure there is no peace”. “The board of the programme (in which Khalid gave the speech) had photographs of two state ministers. What he (Khalid) said in his speech, happened in Delhi. But the state government is not even acting against him,” Mr Fadnavis alleged. Mr Fadnavis did not name the two ministers but said he would give evidence on this to CM Uddhav Thackeray. Speaking to reporters outside the state legislature building here, he said the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) does not snatch away citizenship of any Indian. He said no document is sought from citizens under the National Population Register, which he added, was brought by the UPA in 2010. “Notwithstanding this situation, protests are being staged to deliberately cause anarchy and funding is done for the protests through the Popular Front of India. Since the fund is used to spread anarchy, it has to be categorised as terror-funding. The court will decide on it,” he said.