New Delhi: Thousands of Congress workers and local people, after their ‘Jumme Ki Namaz’, participated in a rally at Seelampur in North East Delhi Assembly today to join the country-wide anger against the Citizenship Amendment Bill, passed by the BJP Government in Parliament, which will create communal tension, caste dissension and an explosive situation across the nation. The demonstrators, shouting anti-Modi Government slogans, sought the immediate withdrawal of the Bill. The rally was addressed by Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Shri Subhash Chopra, and presided over by ex-MLA Ch. Mateen Ahmed.
Besides Shri Subhash Chopra, prominent others who addressed the rally were chief spokesperson Shri Mukesh Sharma, Ch. Mateen Ahmed and district president Shri Kailash Jain.
Thousands of people from the minority community, carrying tri-colour flags, assembled outside the Jagpravesh Chandra Hospital in Seelampur for the protest rally. The young protestors, carrying placards with slogans against the BJP and the Citizenship Amendment Bill, demanded the immediate withdrawal of the Bill. Police was present in full force to prevent any untoward incident as the angry protesters shouted anti-BJP slogans for passing this divisive Bill in Parliament, which has kicked-up a nation-wide protest.
Addressing the rally, Shri Subash Chopra said that the Citizenship Amendment Bill was a calculated attempt by the Modi Government to create unease and communal divide. He said that there have been attacks on secularism not once, but many times, but the people of India had always rejected the agenda of divisive forces like the BJP. Shri Chopra said that on the one hand, the Congress party protected secularism by taking along all shades of opinion with a broader view while on the other hand, whenever the BJP came to power, it targeted the communal amity and secular ideals of the country, by making concerted attempts to divide the country on communal and caste line. Shri Chopra alleged that the Citizenship Amendment Bill was a direct violation of Article 14 of the Indian Constitution.
Shri Subhash Chopra said that Arvind Kejriwal, who sat on a hunger strike demanding suspense of Delhi Police officials, was silent on the Citizenship Amendment Bill, and wondered why he was keeping quiet on the issue. He expressed surprise that the Aam Aadmi Party workers were not hitting the streets to protest against the Bill. Shri Chopra asked the thousands of people present at the rally whether they accepted this kind of dual politics by Kejriwal, and they said an emphatic ‘no’, by raising their hands.
Shri Mateen Ahmed said that people from all religious dispensations were living amicably now, which the Modi Government is not able to digest. He thanked the people for turning up in thousands for the rally, adding that the presence of so many people proves that this Bill was anti-India and anti-people.
Chief spokesperson Shri Mukesh Sharma said that India belong to people of all religious faiths and it was dangerous to divide them on communal and religious lines through this Bill. He said that the people of India will give a befitting reply to the Modi Government for trying to divide the country on communal lines in clear violation of the core principles of the Indian Constitution. He demanded the immediate withdrawal of the Citizenship Amendment Bill as it was an attempt by the Modi Government to polarize people on communal lines. A resolution moved by Shri Mukesh Sharma against the Bill was unanimously approved by thousands of people by raising their hands. He said that Congress will not only wage a battle of attrition against the Bill, but will also take legal recourse to protect the Constitution and the country’s secular credentials.
LATHI-CHARGE AT JAMIA— SUBHASH CHOPRA CONDEMNS POLICE ACTION.
Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Shri Subhash Chopra condemned the police lathi-charge on students at Jamia Milia at Okhla. He said that a curfew-like situation was prevailing at Okhla, and many youths suffered serious injuries in the lathi-charge. He demanded strong action against the guilty and a probe to bring out the truth.
