Mayawati Suspends MLA Ramabai Parihar For Supporting Citizenship Law Amid Protests

Bhopal:

Bahujan Samajwadi Party chief Mayawati, who has been a vocal critic of the amended Citizenship Act, has suspended a party MLA for supporting the legislation amid widespread protests across the country.

On Saturday, BSP MLA Ramabai Parihar supported the new citizenship law at an event in her constituency – Patheria in Madhya Pradesh – where Union Minister Prahlad Patel also present. “I congratulate Narendra Modi, Prahlad Patel and Amit Shah for the smooth passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act. It’s a great decision which should have been taken much before, but it seems those in power the past weren’t competent of taking such decision. I and my family support CAA,” she said. 

The comments did not go well with her the party chief. “The BSP is a disciplined party and if discipline is broken, immediate action is taken against MPs and MLAs of the party. BSP MLA Ramabai Parihar from Patheria has been suspended from the party for supporting the Citizenship Amendment Act. She has also been banned from participating in the party events,” the 63-year-old leader tweeted this morning. 

“The BSP was the first one to say that CAA is divisive and against the ethos of the constitution. Our party voted against the bill in parliament and we also urged the president to revoke it. Despite this Ramabai Parihar went on to express his support for the legislation,” she wrote in another tweet, adding that the MLA has been warned on few other instances for going against the party line.

Massive protests have swept India since parliament cleared the Citizenship Amendment Act earlier this month. The law, for the first time, makes religion a test of citizenship this month. The government says the law will help the persecuted minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Admitting illegal migrants as citizens on the basis of religion violates the fundamental rights to life and equality, critics have said.

Last week, the BSP chief had told the central government to give up its “stubborn stand” over the controversial law and withdraw its decision.

Some of her party colleagues also met President Ram Nath Kovind last week, alleging that the contentious law was against Articles 14 and 21 the Constitution. They also demanded withdrawal of the law and a judicial inquiry into the December 15 clampdown on students of Jamia Millia University amid protests against the legislation.