sortiwa
[ad_1]
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday came down heavily on the damage to property caused by people protesting against the new citizenship law, saying those who committed violence must introspect.
Article 370, which the prime minister termed an “old disease”, and the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid issue were resolved peacefully, Modi said, adding that the way had been cleared to give citizenship to persecuted minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
“We have solved some of the problems that we got as legacy… We will challenge the challenges,” he said.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, or CAA, has triggered a nationwide debate on whether the law violates the country’s secular nature by excluding a particular religious group from its ambit, as has the iron-fisted approach adopted by police in some states to quell protests against the legislation.
“So far, we have focused on our rights. But now, we should focus on our duties. A government should not work only for five years but also for five generations,” he said, adding those who damage public property should question themselves. “People should not believe in rumours and misinformation,” Modi said.
The Adiyanath government in UP came in for praise from the PM. “Good governance is possible only when one takes an inclusive view. And, I am glad that Yodi Adityanath is following this,” he said.
The Uttar Pradesh administration has announced strong action against violent protesters — CM Adityanath said on December 19 that the administration would exact “revenge” for the violence — including seizure and attachment of their properties. But there was no word on compensating families of those killed in police firing or on holding officers to account.
“We should always remember our rights and obligations. While good and accessible education is our right, we also have an obligation to respect our teachers and safeguard the security of our educational institutions,” Modi said, criticising the ongoing protests by students against the contentious new law in universities across the country. Getting a good education was a matter of right, accompanied by a duty to respect and protect places of learning, he said. “People who damaged public property and were involved in violence in the name of protests in Uttar Pradesh should ask themselves if what they did was right,” Modi said in his address at the foundation-laying ceremony of the Atal Bihari Medical University in Lucknow.
“Better roads, transport and sewer are our rights, and it’s our duty to protect it. Quality education is our right but safety of educational institutions and respect for teachers is our duty. Secure atmosphere is our right, but it’s also duty of citizens to respect the work of police,” he added.
Eighteen people have died across Uttar Pradesh in protests against the law, which was passed by Parliament on December 11. Most of the deceased protesters died of bullet injuries. State police initially denied having fired at protesters but later officers in three districts admitted to have fired gunshots in self-defence. Another seven have died elsewhere, taking the nationwide death toll to 25. The Lucknow district magistrate has set up a committee on Adityanath’s instructions to assess the damage to property. The committee has also been tasked with identifying the people involved, and levying fines on them. Police said the protesters damaged public property worth around ~100 crore.
Congress spokesperson Pranav Jha said, “There’s no denying the fact that public property should not be damaged. Would our Prime Minister bother to know as to why people are protesting? Who is responsible for making people come on to streets?” He added: “We are a democracy and when people are hurt by the indifference of the government they would show their anger. This government is hellbent on pushing its agenda which has caused this widespread anger and unrest.”
[ad_2]
Source link
