'CAA, NRC detrimental to concept of integration'

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR) have stabbed Muslims in the chest and will stab Hindus in the back, activist Shivsundar warned on Thursday.

‘’The Hindus, whose names are dropped from the NRC, will not get citizenship under the CAA,’’ Shivsunder claimed while delivering a talk on the CAA, NRC and the NPR, organised by Udupi district unit of Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Raj Sanghatan, at Town Hall.

He said the CAA and the NRC were detrimental to the concept of integration and should be blatantly opposed by all in the country.

Shivsundar appealed for an intense opposition against the implementation of both the CAA and the NRC.

He alleged that the Centre was following a divide and rule policy. The CAA and the NRC will create confusion and divide the entire country on the basis of religion. Modi government is keen on transforming the country into an Hindu nation, he said and highlighted steps taken up by the government to introduce the CAA and the NRC.

He accused the government of diverting the attention of people from its poor economic policies, which is leading the country towards economic turmoil. He compared the Central government with Israeli government which is also implementing similar initiatives.

He said both the CAA and the NRC were against the constitutional ideals. He said citizenship was the basic right of every individual and government itself should assure it.

Ironically, Modi government is demanding documentary evidences to prove the citizenship of the people. He added that there was no scope for the amendments in citizenship law in democracies. “The government should be opposed for its unconstitutional and autocratic approach,’’ he stressed.

Former MP Meenakshi Natarajan said India cannot be divided in the name of religion because of its secular fabric.

The government is into false propaganda. Former speaker Ugrappa alleged that the BJP government had failed to fulfill the promises made to the people and thus an attempt was made to mislead them.