Maharashtra: Minister Jayant Patil terms violent protests over CAA as unfortunate

Maharashtra Minister Jayant Patil on Friday termed violent protests against the citizenship law as 'unfortunate,' saying that violence can never be supported.

"There is an unstable atmosphere over the Citizenship Act and the NRC across the country. There have been violent protests in northeastern and northern states, which is unfortunate. The Constitution gives everyone right to protest but violence can never be supported," said Patil in a statement.

"The NCP workers and functionaries should never participate in any violent protest directly or indirectly. I appeal that nobody in the state should do anything, which creates a law and order problem," he said.

Patil's statement comes amid widespread protests across the country against the newly-enacted citizenship law, which grants Indian citizenship to Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Parsi refugees fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, and came to India on or before December 31, 2014.