CAA: Prakash Ambedkar demands Amit Shah's resignation

Mumbai: Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of trying to divide the country, the Bahujan Vanchit Aghadi President Prakash Ambedkar on Thursday demanded the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Ambedkar accused Shah of creating mass unrest in the country by bringing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Addressing a massive rally and procession in Mumbai's Dadar to oppose the CAA and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), he alleged that the "CAA-NRC was a conspiracy by the BJP and RSS to divide the people of the country, divert attention from the economic crisis gripping the country and it must be resisted with full force.

"Despite their claims, the CAA-NRC are definitely 100 per cent anti-Muslims, but it will also go against 40 per cent of the Hindus in the country and, hence, must be fought by all communities," Ambedkar said.

He demanded whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- after seeing all these countrywide protests against the 'anti-people' laws -- will seek Shah's resignation or sack him from the home ministry.

Accusing the government of spreading 'misinformation' on the detention camps, Ambedkar claimed that these detention camps have been existing in places like Assam, but nobody knew how many people were kept there, and even in Navi Mumbai, one detention camp exists.

"During the British rule, people who were condemned to detention camps never returned, many died there. In case any such detention camps come up in Maharashtra, we will go and demolish them," he said.

Elaborating on the impact of the CAA-NRC, Ambedkar -- who is the grandson of B. R. Ambedkar, the Architect of Indian Constitution -- warned that these laws would harm more Hindus than the Muslims, but the implications of which the majority community has not yet fully understood.

He reiterated that there are nomadic tribes who make up 12-16 per cent of the population, nine per cent tribals, besides, 'Alutedars' and 'Balutedars' (small rural migrant labour communities), who have no documents of any kind.

"The government wants people to produce the documents of their fathers and forefathers. From where shall we get these? What about these (above) communities? If they are unable to produce the papers, they will be liable for action under the NRC," Ambedkar declared.

Thousands took part in the procession-cum-rally outside Dadar which seemed a sea of people waving the Tricolour, carrying pictures of Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi, the Constitution, posters proclaiming 'Reject CAA - Boycott NRC', banners with anti-CAA-NRC slogans.

A huge procession was also held in Sindhudurg, coastal south-Konkan region, by various social organisations, to protest against the CAA-NRC.