NEW DELHI: Reacting to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s comments voicing concern over the fallout of the amended citizenship law in India, the BJP on Tuesday said the Centre was protecting borders and framing immigration policy as the Microsoft CEO had said in his official statement.
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra refrained from attacking the Indian-origin CEO at the party’s press briefing, but another spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi was not so charitable and tweeted saying that Nadella’s comments showed “how the literate need to be educated”.
To a question about the CAA, Nadella was quoted as saying that what is happening in India is “sad”. In a more nuanced statement issued later, he said every country should define its borders, protect national security and set immigration policy accordingly.
Referring to this statement, Patra said, “That is what the government of this country has done. We are looking after national security and protecting borders.”
In her tweet, Lekhi was, however, critical of Nadella.
“How literate need to be educated! Perfect example,” she said.
“Precise reason for CAA is to grant opportunities to persecuted minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan & Afghanistan. How about granting these opportunities to Syrian Muslims instead of Yezidis in the USA?” she went on to say.
The Congress waded into the row saying BJP’s reaction to Nadella’s comments showed the saffron party was only following its script of attacking anyone and everyone who was critical of the government’s policies.
“Whenever someone nationally or internationally tries to show the BJP leadership a mirror, they are dubbed anti-national and are stopped from doing business in India,” Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.
“Modi ji has only one slogan —not governance, but divisiveness. He and his ministers follow this everyday, be it through laws like CAA, NRC or NPR, or through their statements.”