Asaduddin Owaisi terms CAA as unconstitutional

Hyderabad: AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday termed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) as ‘unconstitutional’, saying this law was made based on religion.

He told mediapersons here that CAA must be read with and understood by NPR-NRC, which will lay down the conditions to prove citizenship.

“If that happens, it will be a grave injustice, especially to the Muslims, Dalits, and the poor people of India, irrespective of the caste or religion they belong to,” he said.

The Hyderabad MP was reacting to media reports that the Centre is ready with the CAA rules and is likely to implement them much before the Lok Sabha elections.

The CAA, which was passed in 2019, is aimed at conferring Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, who entered India on December 31, 2014.

This was meant only for migrants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi, and Christian communities.

Enactment of the law in early 2020 triggered massive protests by the Muslim community and opposition parties, who demanded the rollback of the ‘discriminatory’ law.

Last month, Home Minister Amit Shah stated that no one can stop the implementation of CAA, as it is the law of the land.

Owaisi also demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi to spell out his stand on the statement of his Cabinet minister Giriraj Singh that Ram temple is only the beginning.

“The Prime Minister should tell the country whether his minister is speaking the truth and whether Kashi, Mathura, Teli Wali Masjid, Sunheri Masjid and 30,000 to 35,000 mosques in RSS list be taken away,” he said.

He also defended his speech on Babri Masjid, saying it was based on truth.

“Was Babri Masjid not demolished on December 6, 1992? No one was punished for it. What would have been the court’s judgment if the mosque was not demolished,” he asked.

Owaisi said that his apprehension after the Supreme Court order in the Babri Masjid case is proving true as cases are being filed on several mosques.

Demanding the Prime Minister to spell out his stand on the Places of Worship Act, 1991, Owaisi said, “Why doesn’t he say that his government will abide by the Act to end the controversies?”

He also slammed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for ‘celebrating’ demolition. He asked why Fadnavis did not go to the court and claim he demolished the mosque.

Owaisi then criticised Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for stating that he will change the status of a 200-300-year-old dargah.

He claimed the judgments in criminal trial and title dispute in the Babri Masjid case have emboldened the Maharashtra CM, Deputy CM and the Union minister to make statements to incite people and spread anarchy.

Owaisi also defended his statements on the demolition of Babri Masjid, saying he would raise the December 6 demolition issue as long as he is alive.

“This is democracy. I have the freedom of expression,” he said.

The AIMIM leader alleged that the BJP continues to do politics over Ram temple, as he recalled that it was only in 1989 that the party had raised the issue.

Owaisi also alleged that Narendra Modi is trying to divert people’s attention from issues like unemployment, price rise and China occupying 2,000 sq km area in the Indian territory.