CAA discriminatory, BJP creating divisions in society for political gains: Cong's Rajeev Shukla

Terming the amended citizenship law "discriminatory" and against the spirit of the Constitution, Congress leader Rajeev Shukla accused the BJP on Sunday of creating divisions in the society for political gains.

He also claimed that there was "fear and apprehensions" surrounding the proposed nationwide implementation the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

There have been spontaneous protests in universities, IITs, IIMs and other leading academic institutions throughout the country against the "divisive agenda and anti-people policies of the BJP government", Shukla told a press conference.

Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi put up a strong defence of the contentious law at a rally in Delhi on Sunday and accused the Congress, its allies and "urban naxals" of spreading the rumour that Muslims will be sent to detention centres.

Modi said lies were being spread about the NRC and asserted that the previous Congress governments had mooted it. His government has not discussed it so far either in Parliament or in Cabinet, he added.

Hitting out at the BJP, Shukla said, "Intellectuals, students from IITs, IIMs, professors of top universities and institutions are coming out to register their protest. Can anyone mislead them? They are all educated people. If they are saying something, that means there is something wrong, but the government is not prepared to listen."
Claiming that the proposed nationwide NRC would particularly hurt the poor and vulnerable sections of the society, Shukla said, "There is fear and apprehension among people about NRC. Enforcement of NRC means people will have to dig out birth, school and other certificates of their forefathers to prove citizenship."