NEW DELHI: Ratcheting up the political blame game over the ongoing Shaheen Bagh protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Friday advised Union Home Minister Amit Shah to visit the protesters and talk to them in a bid to diffuse the situation.
The remark came in response to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accusing the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of being behind the sit-in, which has now been on for weeks.
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Politics around the vexed citizenship law has peaked ahead of the Assembly polls, with the Congress holding street protests against the law and the BJP trying to shift the attention of voters to national issues — dispelling ‘misperceptions’ around the CAA and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC).
The AAP, too, questioned the need for the law at a time the economy is in the doldrums.
While the AAP has been focusing on bread and butter issues, the BJP is keen to fight the February 8 polls on matters that have polarised discourse across the country.
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Sisodia said, “The Union home minister is responsible for law and order in Delhi. If there’s a civilian uprising in any part of the country, the onus should be on him to deal with it. The Shaheen Bagh protesters have put forward a demand that they want met. I believe the home minister should meet the protesters and talk it out with them.” The deputy CM also offered to take Shah on a tour of the capital and show him what his government did over the last five years.
Taking a swipe at the AAP government, the home minister had said his phone died in trying to access free Wi-Fi in Delhi. Hitting back, Sisodia said, “If the home minister’s phone runs out of charge, the country would ground to a halt. Our government has made electricity-free for up to 200 units. I’d request him to keep his phone charged at all times, as he won’t be able to access free Wi-Fi on a dead phone.”