Govt is the real culprit : Ghulam Nabi Azad on CAA protests

On the ongoing protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019 across the country and with incidences of clashes between protesters and police in Delhi last night, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said that "real culprit" is central government that passed the 'unpopular' Bill in Parliament without thinking about its consequences.

"The real culprit is the government. It passed the unpopular Bill in Parliament on the basis of their numbers without thinking about its consequences," said Azad.

"The people are against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. There are protests everywhere be it West Bengal, Maharashtra, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh. The people are not ready to accept this," he added.

Yesterday, at least 26 students and six cops sustained injuries in a protest against the citizenship law outside Jamia Millia Islamia University. The protesters had set DTC buses on fire near Bharat Nagar area after demonstrations turned violent. Protestors also vandalized a fire tender that was sent to douse the fire and injured two firemen inside the vehicle.

Delhi Police PRO MS Randhawa had said that a section of the mob had turned violent and started pelting stones on the police and at houses due to which police was forced to resort to baton charge and firing tear gas shells

The Act seeks to grant Indian citizenship to refugees from Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Parsi communities fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and who entered India on or before December 31, 2014.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was passed from Parliament earlier this week and became an Act with President Ram Nath Kovind giving his assent on November 12.