There can be no compromise on CAA, says Chidambaram

Former Finance Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday said that there can be no compromise on the issue of Citizenship Amendment Act and "to introduce religion as a test of citizenship" was condemnable.

"It is unfortunate that dissonant voices on this issue are being heard in India. On this issue, there can be no compromise. India is not based on a theocratic principle. India is based on the equality of all citizens. The religion of a citizen is irrelevant," he told the media here.

"Neither the Constitution of India, nor the Citizenship Act 1955 mentions religion anywhere. For the first time, it is a CAB which introduced the principle of religion. Therefore, we say it is fundamentally opposed to the constitutional principle of India... To introduce religion as a test of citizenship is condemnable. We condemn it," he added.

Talking about anti-CAA protests in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia University, Chidambaram said if 21 people are dead, who is responsible for the violence?

"The DGP of Uttar Pradesh says not one bullet was fired from police guns. I have not come across a police gun which does not fire but still will kill 21 people. It must be a magic gun then. The gun doesn't fire, but 21 people are killed," he said.

"What happened in Delhi, Jamia Millia is again police excesses. When students are agitating, it is possible that some slogans are raised or one or two stones are thrown. We are not condoning it. We say don't do that. But still it may happen. But the answer is not to kill them," he said.