DHAR/ INDORE: Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Saturday claimed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had agreed to meet the protesters opposing the new citizenship law at Delhi's Shaheen Bagh and welcomed the "move".
Shah had told a news channel a few days ago that anyone who wanted to discuss issues related to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) with him could seek time from his office and they would be given time "within three days".
On Saturday, a section of Shaheen Bagh protesters said they were ready to meet Shah to raise their concerns over CAA but added that the onus was on the government to call them for talks.
However, despite Singh's claim, there is no official confirmation on whether Shah has agreed to meet Shaheen Bagh protesters. The protesters, mainly women, have been staging a sit-in against the CAA, National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR) there for the past two months.
"Honourable Home Minister Amit Shahji has decided to hold talks with Shaheen Bagh protesters over their demand (on CAA) and this is a good signal. I am hopeful their demand for withdrawal of the new citizenship act will be met," Singh told reporters in Dhar. Singh said if other demands of the protesters, like making the National Population Register exercise "friendly", were met, then it would create a "good atmosphere in the country".
Speaking in Indore, Singh said had the Narendra Modi government held talks with Shaheen Bagh protesters earlier, the situation would not have come to such a pass. "If the Central government had held talks with mothers and sisters squatting at the Shaheen Bagh, the situation would not have come to such a pass in the country. But the dialogue should not be confined to discussions merely. I demand from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to withdraw the unconstitutional CAA," he told reporters.
Questioning the need for the CAA, Singh claimed one crore people have been given citizenship, including around 85 per cent Hindus, after Independence. "There was also no need for the NRC and the NPR given that the people have Aadhaar cards, driving licenses, voter identity cards etc. which can prove their citizenship," he said.