HYDERABAD: Strongly criticizing the newly enacted Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students’ union president Sai Balaji said if the writer of the national anthem Rabindranath Tagore, and father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi were alive, the BJP-led government would have also asked them to show their documents to prove citizenship.
He was speaking at the launch of the 'Young India’s public declaration and campaign against CAA-NRC-NPR', an umbrella organisation of the nationwide students organisations on Saturday.
The Young India student’s body which comprises of over 100 student unions have called for protest rallies — Young India’s Million Declaration Rally. The rally will be held throughout the country on January 20 to protest against CAA, besides organising signature campaigns, and awareness programmes. Balaji said that a massive protest rally from Ambedkar statue on Tank Bund to Dharna Chowk will be organised on January 20 in the city.
He said, “The voters are citizens when it comes to elections, but after the elections, they have to prove their citizenship by submitting documents of ancestors. Having plenty of cards including voter id, Aadhaar and PAN will not be considered as proof of citizens, but if you have BJP membership card, your membership will not be ripped off.”
“Even the name of Assam’s Chief Minister Syeda Anwara Taimur was left out in NRC draft. When this has happened to a prominent person, then what will be the fate of the common people of the country,” asked Hadif Nisar, a communication student of the University of Hyderabad who is associated with Jammu and Kashmir Students Union (JKSU). He added that Muslims who will be left out of NPR-NRC will be treated as ‘doubtful citizens/illegal immigrants’.
Students of various organisations questioned, "How can government be allowed to play with the constitutional right of citizens?" They also condemned Delhi police’s act of filing cases against 'victims of terror'. Balaji remarked, "starting from Rohit Vemula to Aishe Ghosh, the State is harassing victims."