Hubballi, Dec 26: Amid widespread outrage against the Citizenship Amendment Act (ACT) and growing apprehensions over the possibility of the carrying out of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) across the country, BJP’s Bengaluru (South) MP Tejasvi Surya on Wednesday reiterated the saffron party’s commitment to see through the implementation of both. “The Centre is yet to draft rules for subordinate legislation for the NRC, but the opposition parties are misleading the citizens, particularly members of Muslim community, about its intent,” said Surya.
Pointing out that CAA was a long-pending law, the MP added, “Mahatma Gandhi, BR Ambedkar, Babu Jagjivanram and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee were among those who wanted to accord citizenship to people who had been keen on emigrating to India but remained in Pakistan in the aftermath of Partition.”
Claiming that nearly 70% of those seeking to migrate to India from these countries belonged to communities classified under Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Surya added, “The previous governments did not dare to go ahead with this law in order to woo minorities. The implementation of CAA was decided in 2014. In fact, the Union home ministry had issued a circular on the issue eight years ago. The Citizenship Act, 1954 clearly states that the country will not tolerate the illegal entry of people from neighbouring countries.”
Targetting the Congress, Surya said that the opposition party, and intellectuals it had sponsored, had launched a misinformation campaign to create confusion among the Muslims. “We will respond to the charges of these vested interests with a campaign in the state that will be conducted from January 1 through 15,” said the MP, clarifying that CAA did not violate the provisions of Article 14 of the Constitution.
Advising Muslim youngsters against being carried away by the misinformation campaign, he said, “The NRC is still on the drawing board. You must understand that CAA will accord citizenship to members of all six minority communities including Muslims. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already assured all citizens that those born in India have no cause to worry.”
Countering claims made by functionaries and elected representatives of opposition parties about their not being taken into confidence before the CAA was rolled out, Surya said that the bill had been discussed at length at an all-party meeting convened before it was tabled in the Parliament. “In fact, it was also discussed in the Lok Sabha business advisory committee, which includes members of all parties. They were silent in these sessions, and are provoking people now,” he said.
‘CCTV footage shows that attempts were afoot to defame BJP’
On the protests against CAA and NRC taking a violent turn in Mangaluru, which ended with two agitators dying, Surya said that footage from closed circuit television cameras had shown that there was a campaign to defame the BJP government. “Former chief minister Siddaramaiah held Tipu Jayanti after imposing prohibitory orders, but he is now questioning police,” the MP said.
Expressing his approval of CM BS Yediyurappa’s decision against compensating the families of victims, he added, “He views people of all religions in the same light. Since the deceased youngsters were involved in rioting, he has taken a bold decision to refuse compensation.”
President of the BJP’s Hubballi city unit Nagesh Kalburgi and other office-bearers of the party Mahesh Tenginakai, Lingaraj Patil and Dattamuti Kulkarni were among those who were with Surya at the media interaction.
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