Senior BJP leader and Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday alleged that the Shaheen Bagh protest in Delhi was “a textbook case of a few hundred people trying to suppress the silent majority”, offering a platform to the tukde tukde gang under the guise of opposition to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).
He said those trying to fragment India were getting cover at Shaheen Bagh, where the tricolours were being waved. “It is offering a platform to tukde tukde gang elements under the garb of opposition to the CAA. This protest is not just a protest against the CAA, it is a protest against [Prime Minister Narendra] Modi,” Mr. Prasad said at a press conference.
His words echoed a series of tweets from BJP president J.P. Nadda, who accused the Aam Aadmi Party government of being tardy in sanctioning the prosecution of cases against former JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar and others, referred to by the ruling party as part of the tukde tukde gang.
Mr. Prasad accused both the AAP and the Congress of vote bank politics. “It is important to bring the truth out. [Congress leader] Rahul Gandhi went to the JNU when the tukde tukde gang was raising slogans to divide India. [Delhi Chief Minister Arvind] Kejriwal ji also went there. This is their truth, and it is only for vote bank.”
Commuters in distress
He said lakhs of commuters were in distress as they could not go to work, shops were shut and their children were unable to go to school because of the “roadblock [created] by Shaheen Bagh protesters.” He questioned why Mr. Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia were not listening to the “silent” voices of those distressed by the blocking of the road.
Responding to Mr. Prasad’s allegations, Mr. Kejriwal said BJP leaders should immediately go to Shaheen Bagh, talk to protesters and open the road. “People are distressed because of closed roads at Shaheen Bagh. The BJP does not want that the roads be opened. The BJP is playing dirty politics. The BJP leaders should go to Shaheen Bagh, talk to people, and open the road,” he wrote on Twitter in Hindi.
In response to Mr. Prasad’s comments, Congress leader P. Chidambaram wrote on Twitter: “Now, the Law Minister calls the protesters at Shaheen Bagh as part of the tukde tukde gang. The real tukde tukde gang is the ruling party that is determined to divide India on religious lines.”
PTI adds
Mr. Prasad questioned the objectivity of members of European Union (EU) Parliament who have backed resolutions against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), asking if they ever raised their voices over “victimisation” of minority Hindus and Sikhs in Pakistan.
His assertion came after close to 600 lawmakers in the 751-member Parliament moved six resolutions against the CAA, saying the enactment of the law marked a dangerous shift in India’s citizenship regime.
“The government of India has already explained that it [the CAA] is our internal matter. We believe in engagement. Lots of Left Parties there have sought this resolution and our External Affairs Minister will engage with them and explain our position,” Mr. Prasad told a press conference at the Delhi BJP office.
The powerful 28-nation bloc is set to debate and vote on the motion tabled by a large chunk of its members against the CAA.
Asked about the upcoming EU Parliament’s debate, Mr. Prasad asked a counter question, “Have my esteemed friends of the EU Parliament sought to raise a voice over “victimisation” of Hindu girls or a Sikh Granthi’s daughter in Pakistan? It is high time they also needed to be objective.”
The EU Parliament should not take any action questioning the rights and authority of democratically elected legislatures, government sources had said on Sunday.
India hopes that the “sponsors and supporters” of the resolutions will engage with the government to get a full and accurate assessment of facts before they proceed further, the sources had said.
