Opposition stoking protests, not interested in peace: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Tuesday slammed the Opposition for politicising anti-CAA protests in the country.

Speaking to ANI, Naqvi said, "People who believe in 'right to provoke' have hijacked 'right to protest'. They could not convince people for anti-CAA protests, so they have created confusion on baseless points and factors."

"People who are confusing these protesters believe in provoking and not in peace", the Union Minister added.

About 154 prominent citizens have written a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind in which they have urged the central government to look into the ongoing protests with all seriousness and safeguard the democratic institutions of the country, and take stern action against those people behind them.

The citizens include 11 former judges of different high courts, 24 retired IAS officers, 11 former Indian Foreign Service officers, 16 retired IPS officers and 18 former Lieutenant Generals.

They further said that "fear" is being spread across the length and breadth of India which appears to be "motivated and with a sinister design" to harm the nation.

The CAA grants citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Parsi, Buddhist, and Christian refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.