People who damaged public property in the name of protest should introspect: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday urged those who vandalised public property in the names of protests to introspect whether what they did was right or not.

"People who damaged public property and were involved in violence in the name of protest in Uttar Pradesh should introspect if what they did was right," Prime Minister said at the foundation laying ceremony of Atal Bihari Medical University here.

"Better roads, transport and sewer are our rights, but it is also our duty to protect it. Quality education is our right but the safety of educational institutions and respect for teachers are our duties. The secure atmosphere is our right, but it is also the duty of citizens to respect the work of police," he added.

Protests erupted in several parts of the country last week, including Uttar Pradesh, over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, which grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists, and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.

While calling Article 370 as an old disease, Prime Minister Modi also said, "Issues of Article 370, Ram Temple have been resolved peacefully. The way to give citizenship to refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan has been cleared. 130 crore Indians have found solution to such challenges with confidence."

Also present on the occasion were Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Governor Anandiben Patel, among others.

Prime Minister Modi also unveiled a statue of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Lok Bhawan, on Vajpayee's birth anniversary.