LUCKNOW: Slamming the anti-CAA protesters for damaging the public property in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that they should understand that rights and duties go hand in hand. Condemning the violence during the stir, he further stated that those responsible should take time and introspect themselves.
“People who damaged public property while indulging in violence destroying public property in the name of protest in UP, should introspect while sitting at home if their acts were right,” PM Modi said in his address while unveiling the 25-foot high statue of former Prime Minister and BJP stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee at his 95th birth anniversary at Lok Bhawan here on Wednesday. PM Modi also laid the foundation stone of Atal Bihari Medical University on the occasion.
The PM urged the people of the country not to get driven by rumours and provoked by misinformation campaigns. He appealed to them to think over what they did achieve by destroying the public property which had to be used by their future generations.
Reminding people of their duties towards the nation, the PM said they had focussed enough to get their rights. “Now the time is here to get sensitized about our duties as well, especially, when we are ushering into a new decade and about to complete 75 years of our independence in a few years,” maintained PM Modi.
"Better roads, transport and sewer are our rights, but it is also our duty to protect it. Quality education is our right but safety of educational institutions and respect for teachers are also our duties. We have the right to a safe and secure life but it's also our duty to respect the work of police system and honour the duty-bound cops," he asserted.
Speaking about the legacy, the PM said despite inheriting the problems from previous regimes which often happened, everything could be resolved with patience and a genuine will to find solutions.
“Issues of Article 370 and Ram Temple have been resolved peacefully. The way to give citizenship to refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan has been cleared. We, 130 crore countrymen have found solution to such challenges with confidence,” he said adding: “We have not let a single opportunity to challenge the challenges facing us. This has given us immense confidence to resolve even the toughest problems plaguing the country.”
Sixteen people died across Uttar Pradesh in protests against the law which was passed by Parliament on December 11. As per the estimations, public property worth around Rs 100 crore across seven districts of the state was destroyed during the recent anti-CAA protests.
The Lucknow district magistrate has set up a committee to assess the damage to property during the protests on Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s instructions. The committee has also been tasked with identifying the people involved, and levying fines on them. If they fail to pay, their property will be confiscated in keeping with a 2010 Allahabad High Court order.