Anti-CAB protest: Indian police fire blanks at protesters

Indian police has fired blanks as thousands of protesters who were demonstrations against a contentious bill that seeks to grant citizenship only to non-Muslim immigrants from certain countries, ignored a curfew.

According to officials, dozens of people have been hurt amidst protests in recent days, several vehicles torched and police firing tear gas and thousands of additional troops have been deployed in the northeastern state of Assam after violent protests.

Critics say it undermines the constitution by not offering protection to Muslims.

Mobile internet got suspended in 10 districts in Assam for 24 hours.

Protesters attacked the political entities Party overnight.

Protesters defied curfew, torching cars and tires and chanting anti-Modi slogans.

Pakistan expresses deep concerns over contentious Indian citizenship legislation

The bill got huge criticism from the opposition, as they claimed that the bill victimizes the rights of Muslims based on their religion.

Congress, Shiv Sena, Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party started protesting against the bill. The opposition claimed that the bill is violating Indian culture, constitution, secular ethos, and civilization.

AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi had torn a copy of the bill into pieces even before the bill was not passed yet, claiming that the bill is not as per the Indian constitution and it opposes rights of freedom fighters. He also claimed his reaction to the bill as similar to Mahatma Gandhi’s reaction at the time of discriminatory citizenship card in South Africa.

Indian Union Muslim League MPs also protested by keeping placards in their hands inside the parliament in front of Mahatma Gandhi statue.

However, Union Home Minister Amit Shah defended and explained his point in detail. He demonstrated that the bill is made as per Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance manifesto.

He said that the bill is not against any minority group.

Amit Shah said, “Under no dimension, the bill is unconstitutional, or is against Article 14.”

He added, “In 1991, the Hindu population was 84% and the Muslim population was 9.8%. In 2011, the Hindu population was 79% and the Muslim population is 14.23% today. We have done no discrimination based on religion and will not do in the future as well.”

It should be remembered that the Union Cabinet had approved this bill on December 4, 2019. Congress had conducted a meeting at Janpath before the introduction of the bill, as they claimed they will oppose the bill to the fullest.