Don't give Hindu-Muslim colour to Citizenship Act protests, says AAP

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday urged the BJP not to give "Hindu-Muslim" colour to the recent protests against the amended Citizenship Act, saying from Kerala to West Bengal, everyone is against it.

Senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh said the amended Citizenship Act is an agenda of everyone living in India.

"The BJP should not give Hindu-Muslim colour to the matter. AAP and others are against the CAA because it is against B R Ambedkar's principles. It is not a matter of just Muslims but of every person who goes out to work," he said.

"From West Bengal to Kerala, everyone is opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act," Singh said.

Reacting to reports that 10 people having criminal background were arrested for allegedly being involved in the violence near the Jamia Millia Islamia University here, Singh asked "why did the police enter the hostel and the library and hit them" if none of the students were involved in the violence.

On Sunday, scores of people, including Jamia students and policemen, were injured, four DTC buses were set afire and over 100 private vehicles were damaged when protesters opposing the amended Citizenship Act turned violent and clashed with police near New Friends Colony.

The AAP has accused the BJP of making the whole protest against the law about Muslims and also claimed that the saffron party is doing "dirty politics" in the matter.

The amended citizenship act was passed by Parliament and given assent by the President last week.

According to the Act, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who had come to India till Dec 31, 2014, from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan because of religious persecution will not be treated as illegal immigrants and be given Indian citizenship.

The Act says non-Muslim refugees will be given Indian citizenship after their stay in India for five years, instead of the earlier requirement of 11 years.

It also proposes to give immunity to such refugees facing cases as illegal immigrants.

According to the legislation, it will not be applicable to the tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura as included in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and in the areas covered under the Inner Line Permit, notified under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873.