Citizenship Act: Protestors ‘creating violence can be identified by their clothes’, claims Modi
The prime minister alleged that the Congress and its allies were providing tacit support to the violence taking place in the North East.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed at a rally in Dumka, Jharkhand on Sunday that those who are protesting against the amendments to the Citizenship Act can be identified by their clothes, ANI reported.
“Congress and their allies are creating a ruckus,” he said. “They are doing arson because they did not get their way. Those who are creating violence can be identified by their clothes itself.”
Modi alleged that Congress and its allies were providing tacit support to the violence taking place in the North East. “These scenes are strengthening the country’s confidence that Modi, Parliament, and the government have saved the country by bringing the Act.”
Modi “congratulated” the people of Assam for distancing themselves from those who are committing violence. “They are peacefully making themselves heard,” he said. “Assam and the North East are behaving in such a way that will increase their prestige in the country.”
At least five people have been killed in Assam so far, in clashes between the police and protestors, though the situation was relatively calm over the weekend. Internet services will be suspended in the state till Monday. Many government building including panchayat offices have been burnt down in Upper Assam. At least 300 protestors, including activist Akhil Gogoi, were detained by the police on Thursday as the violence escalated across the state.
Internet services were suspended in parts of West Bengal on Sunday. Scattered episodes of violence were reported in Nadia, North 24 Parganas, and Howrah districts of West Bengal for the third consecutive day of protests against the amended law. Five empty trains were set on fire at a railway station in Murshidabad district on Saturday.
The prime minister also alleged that the Congress is only bothered about its first family. “There is no hope that these people will think about the betterment of the people of the country,” he added at the election rally in Dumka. Assembly elections to all 81 seats in Jharkhand are being held in five phases. The results of all phases will be declared on December 23.
The contentious amendments to the bill allow citizenship to persecuted people of six religious communities – but not Muslims – from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, provided they have resided in India for six years. The cut-off date is December 31, 2014. The amendments were approved by both Houses of Parliament this week and were signed into law by President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday night.
There is widespread fear in the North East that populations defined as indigenous to the region will be culturally and physically overrun by migrants as a result of this law’s provisions. Elsewhere in India, the bill has been opposed due to its allegedly discriminatory view towards Muslims.