BHOPAL: Former Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has written a letter to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath expressing concern over the anti-CAA-NRC-NPR protests across the state.
She has particularly mentioned about outsiders coming to the state and making provocative speeches during the anti-CAA protests, which could have a bearing on the peace and tranquility in the state.
In the letter, the eight-time former Indore MP has mentioned, “it’s clear the CAA will not snatch any right from anyone, but instead grant citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and other religious minorities who have been persecuted in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The amendment in Sections 2 and 6 of the Citizenship Act will only render citizenship to the persecuted religious minorities who have come to India from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh before December 31, 2014.”
“It’s clear that CAA is meant to give citizenship rights to religious minorities persecuted in the three nations and will in no way snatch away anyone’s rights. Still protests are not only happening against CAA, but also on NRC, despite the union home minister having made it clear on Tuesday that NRC isn’t being implemented in the country. Still protests are happening across the state against CAA-NRC-NPR. I’m particularly concerned about outsiders coming to these protests and making provocative speeches. This has happened in Indore recently,” Mahajan mentioned in the letter written on Tuesday.
“Those making provocative speeches during the ongoing protests have even dared to publicly demand citizenship rights for insurgents/intruders. Such developments are more concerning, particularly at a time when a smart and seasoned politician like you is the CM of the state. I request you (Kamal Nath) to kindly address the issue urgently.”
The former union minister further wrote in the letter, “You are well aware that all those states who have objection to the CAA can move to the Supreme Court for legal remedy, as citizenship falls under the jurisdiction of the central government. But what is presently happening in the name of protests against CAA isn’t appropriate.”
Importantly, the ex-Lok Sabha Speaker wrote the letter to the MP CM on Tuesday, just a day before the MP cabinet passed a resolution against the CAA, requesting the centre to repeal the amended law.
The CM Kamal Nath has repeatedly made it clear that CAA won’t be implemented in the state till the Congress is in power. On December 25, 2019, the CM had led a rally in Bhopal against the CAA.
The MP Governor Lalji Tandon, however, had recently made it clear that the Constitution has Lakshman Rekha (limits) for states, which should be respected. “How can any state deny implementing a law enacted after being passed by the bicameral Parliament and subsequent Presidential assent,” the state’s governor had said on January 31.
While the anti-CAA protests across MP have largely remained peaceful, the protests had taken violent turn in Jabalpur twice, once in Indore and also once in Khandwa district.