Centre peddling lies on CAA, NPR, NRC: Chandrashekhar Azad

Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad on Friday hit out at the BJP-led government at the Centre, accusing it of "peddling lies" on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Population Register (NPR) and National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Azad, addressing a rally in this north Bihar town, called upon the people to carry on "sustained and peaceful protests", urging them to draw inspiration from the agitation by women at Delhi's Shaheen Bagh.

"I want to tell people across the country that they are not alone in their fight. The Bhim Army is by their side," he said.

The Bhim Army chief accused the Narendra Modi-led government of "striking at the country's unity and integrity" by introducing the CAA which "discriminates against citizens on the basis of religion".

He said NPR is seen as a precursor to (nationwide) NRC, which could be "used to disenfranchise people".

"The government has been peddling lies stating that the Act is a benign one, aimed at giving citizenship and not taking it away, and misleading the nation by claiming that it is not linked with NRC. All these measures will harm the common citizens," Azad said.

The Ambedkarite also paid tributes to socialist leader Karpoori Thakur on his birth anniversary on Friday.

Sharing an image of a commemorative stamp issued in the memory of the former Bihar chief minister, he tweeted, "Attended a rally at Muzaffarpur (Bihar) on the birth anniversary of Jan Nayak Karpoori Thakur, the warrior of social justice."