Amid the nation-wide protests against the new Citizenship Act, the Opposition parties, including the Congress, the Left and the RJD, united against the newly enacted contentious law and condemned the police action in Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia on Sunday. While addressing a joint press conference, Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Kapil Sibal, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, CPI’s D Raja, RJD’s Manoj Jha and JD-U’s Sharad Yadav demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident.
Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said, “Police can’t enter into university premises without the permission of Vice-Chancellor. If they weren’t permitted, how did police, which comes under Central govt, enter the campus? We condemn it. There should be a judicial inquiry.”
Responding to PM Modi’s accusation that the Congress was behind the protests, Azad said: “Had Congress been capable of inciting such violence, you wouldn’t have been in power. It’s a baseless allegation. I condemn it. Only the ruling party, Prime Minister, Home Minister and their cabinet are responsible for it.”
CPI-M’s Sitaram Yechury said what happened in Jamia with students is totally unacceptable in a democracy while questioning why there had been no response from Amit Shah for the past two days. “Delhi Police is under Centre, what is Home Minister Amit Shah’s response on the use of force on Jamia students. Citizenship bill cannot be linked to religion, it is not a Hindu-Muslim issue.”
CPI’s D Raja said the Left parties will conduct a nationwide protest on December 19. “We hope that the protest will be a massive one. We appeal to all secular, democratic forces to join in the protest.”
In West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hit the streets of Kolkata against the NRC and Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Reading out an oath to thousands gathered, Mamata reiterated that she will not allow the NRC and Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in the state. Her rally began at from Red Road in the heart of the city and will culminate at Jorasakho Thakur Bari, the residence of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.