New Delhi, Feb 14: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday said there must be a "huge mass movement" if any Muslim was sent to detention camps in case the Supreme Court upheld the validity of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Speaking at the JNU campus, the former Union minister said the CAA was an outcome of the "NRC fiasco" in Assam that left 19 lakh people out of the document.
The CAA was brought to accommodate the 12 lakh Hindus among the 19 lakh people who could not be included in the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, he claimed.
Replying to a question by a student on the best course of action if the CAA was upheld by the apex court, Chidambaram said, "When they touch the excluded...they will only be Muslims, to identify and throw them out, declare them stateless, there must be a huge mass movement, resisting any Muslim being thrown out or kept in detention camps."
He also said the Congress believed that the CAA must be repealed and there should be a political struggle so that the National Population Register (NPR) was pushed beyond 2024.
Claiming that the NRC, CAA and NPR were "closely connected" to each other, Chidambaram said, "The CAA was brought due to the NRC fiasco in Assam and the opposition to the CAA gave way to the NPR."
He asserted that the Congress was protesting against the CAA and the NRC across the country, but had consciously avoided going to Shaheen Bagh, as in that case, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would brand the demonstration against the amended citizenship law as a "political" one.
"See, we are not going to Shaheen Bagh because that would be falling into the BJP's trap. If we go there, they (BJP) will say it is political," the senior Congress leader said.
Slamming the CAA and the NRC as instruments undermining the very basis of the formation of India, he said the country, instead, needed a "broad law" on refugees.
Speaking at an event against the NRC, CAA and NPR hosted by the Congress's student wing, NSUI, at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Chidambaram accused the BJP of spreading lies against Opposition parties.
"The BJP says the Congress, the Left and other liberal parties are against citizenship to persecuted Hindus, Sikhs from Pakistan, Bangladesh. But we are not against those included, our opposition is against exclusion," he said.
Questioning the rationale behind the CAA, the former finance minister said it excluded people on the basis of religion.
"Why only three countries, what about other neighbouring countries — Nepal, Bhutan, China? What about others treated much worse? The Ahmadiyas and Shias of Pakistan, the Rohingyas of Myanmar, Tamil Hindus are equally persecuted, why are they left out?" he questioned.
Chidambaram also said the CAA did not cover persecution based on language, political ideology and economic deprivation.
Slamming the NRC, he wondered which country would accept those left out of the document.
"Which country is going to accept them? How will they go? Where will you send them? (Home Minister) Amit Shah saying that they are termites and he will throw them out by 2024 is talking through his hat," the senior Congress leader said.
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THERE IS ALREADY A FILM CALLED "THE MESSAGE" DO YOU HAVE PATIENCE TO WATCH?
THERE IS ALREADY A FILM CALLED THE MESSAGE
Let this jungli ignorant ask his PAKODA Janata Party (PJP) LEADER who financed the film Padmavat.
Prophet Muhammed is the last and final messenger of ALLAH, Who conveyed the message of Oneness of GOD almighty who is worthy of Worship....God sent many prophets including Abraham, moses, jesus and many others to convey this message prior to the last prophet of Mankind... Prophet Muhammad pbuh is not just for muslims but he came to convey to the whole of Mankind. Many people in arabia were worshipping manmade gods like idols, statues, images and animals instead of TRUE ONE GOD (which is NA TASYA PRATIMA ASTI).
Quran is the book revealed to Prophet Muhammad pbuh which is unchanged since its revelation... I request non muslims to Open up the QURAN ( U can also try quranproject online) to understand WHO GOD is? If U are honest in looking for the CREATOR of all that exist ... U will surely find him . Then
It is very EASY to find out how such criminal evil minded politicians are PLAYING in your minds... to keep away from the REAL issues of the SOCIETY>>>
A film already exists. The Message. Plz watch it.
Oye Minister Ji, Y Prophet Mohammed is coming into this picture. Dont dare to create communal voilence by shitting thru your mouth. Tomorrow you will say about "Jesus" too. Blast the guy who made padmavati, dont create communal tension by commenting non-related matter here. Indian public wasting money on films, if public stops watching no film will make money & every star will be like a common man. We as people should understand. Better dont watch any movie, let all starts come to common level.
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