A rally of those supporting the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, turned into platform for not just batting for the Act, but also running down protests against it on Sunday. The rally saw over a thousand people gather and raise slogans in favour of CAA, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
Though the organisers had sought to distance themselves from the BJP, MP for Bengaluru South Tejasvi Surya made a surprise appearance and addressed those gathered. “There is a lot of misconception about CAA and we need to educate people about it,” he said.
His speech soon turned controversial. “The educated, civilised crowd assembled here is definitely informed about CAA and its positive impact on the welfare of the country. But people who are illiterate and have put up puncture shops are protesting against the Act,” he said. He also said that people and Opposition parties opposing the Act had no place in the “new India” the BJP was forging. “The secularism you people have built will not work anymore,” he said.
Seeking to dispel myths about the Act, Mr. Surya said, “ CAA, 2019 is just an Act to grant citizenship to persecuted minorities from neighbouring countries. It does not take away anyone’s citizenship. To those who question how we can grant citizenship based on religion, I will point out that persecution of these minorities was done on the very same religious basis. Upholding the civilisational values of India, this Act will definitely get its validation in the Supreme Court,” he said.
Chakravarty Sulibele, of the Yuva Brigade, which has carried out several campaigns in support of Mr. Modi, also termed those opposing the Act “illiterate and uninformed”. He also made a communal pitch, alleging that “Muslims were busy setting buses on fire”. He later told the media that those who do not pay taxes do not understand the pain of those who do and end up burning buses.
“The Muslims from Islamic countries do not seek refuge in India due to religious persecution; they come in search of employment. However, CAA grants citizenship to only those religious minorities that have undergone persecution on religious grounds,” he said. He also added that the Muslim residents of India would never be affected by the Act. “Only those Muslim immigrants who are snatching away the livelihoods of Indians have to leave the country,” he said.
Mr. Surya also made a communal reference, tweeting an appeal to Muslim youths not to indulge in violence.
Surya’s comments draw ire
The comments of Mr. Surya drew sharp criticism. The Congress and the JD(S) condemned the statement and demanded an apology from him. “This is a statement from a man who represents the vested interests that have denied educational, socio-economic and spiritual equality to the downtrodden for centuries — an affront to Constitutional values. He must immediately apologise,” the Karnataka Congress tweeted. “His statement that only the educated, upper class and upper caste have the right to protest and live is condemnable.”
The JD(S) tweeted that Mr. Surya’s statement indicated that only the educated have the right to protest in the country. “He has spoken ill of the working class... How will society function if the working class boycotts work?” the party asked.
