DECEMBER 21, 2019
Union Home Minister Amit Shah – Photo by Sanjeev Verma/Hindustan Times via Getty Images
NEW DELHI – In a move to counter the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act stir, the BJP Saturday announced that it would launch a mass contact programme to “expose Opposition parties’ lies” and assure them that the new legislation does not affect existing citizens, news agency PTI reported.
The meeting chaired by party working president J P Nadda had convened to formulate BJP’s strategy on CAA as protests against the controversial law intensify across the country. In many places, protests took a violent turn, with Uttar Pradesh being the worst affected state with 15 deaths so far.
The information campaign is also likely to apprise people about the proposed creation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
“BJP within next 10 days will contact more than three crore families, organise rally in every district and hold over 250 press conferences across the country to inform masses about the new law,” party general secretary Bhupender Yadav said, reported PTI.
Coming down heavily on Opposition parties, especially Congress, he said the parties were spreading misinformation to disturb peace across the country. Yadav added the party would also involve several beneficiaries of the amended law in its information campaign regarding the statute.
The Citizenship Bill became law when it received the President’s assent on December 12, following a bruising debate in Parliament. The new law grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, Jains and Parsis who entered the country from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan until December 31, 2014.
It has become controversial largely because it excludes Muslims. Petitioners have argued that the act is unconstitutional in that it classifies immigrants on the basis of religion.
Courtesy/Source: Indian Express
