Kerala CM says idea of equality in Constitution shredded through CAA
Kasaragod (Kerala) (PTI): As Kerala inches towards the polling date of April 26, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led Centre on Saturday over the implementation of the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and said the idea of equality enshrined in the Constitution is being shredded through the law.
Addressing a massive anti-CAA rally organised by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) at this northernmost district of the state, Vijayan attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and alleged that the ideology and structure of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) were adopted from Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini's fascism.
He also alleged that the RSS, which controls the BJP-led government at the Centre, does not recognise secularism.
"Our country is secular but the RSS never accepted secularism. It wants to make India a theocracy and remove secularism. It considers some of us as enemies. It had declared religious minorities and communists as internal enemies," Vijayan said.
He referred to RSS ideologue M S Golwalkar's quote in one of his books that had termed Christians, Muslims and Communists as internal enemies of the country.
"Its (RSS') ideology was not from any ancient texts or myths or vedas or from the Manusmriti but was taken from Hitler. We saw the genocide that followed Hitler's rule, which shocked the entire mankind. However, Hitler's actions were praised by the RSS in India. They announced that internal issues of a country should be resolved by taking an example from Hitler's Germany," the Left leader said.
He also said RSS leaders had visited Mussolini and adopted the fascist organisational structure.
Vijayan said the strength of India always lies in its unity in diversity.
"All of us differ in our beliefs, languages, cultures, food and attire. We are diverse in many fields and that is why we hold our diversity so dearly," he said.
The chief minister said crores of people are worried and concerned over the CAA, which he alleged targets the Muslims in the country.
"The idea of equality enshrined in our Constitution is being shredded through this law," he said.
Vijayan said protests erupted across the globe when the CAA was announced in India and the world leaders criticised the move.
"Because none of the civilised societies in the world can accept citizenship based on religion. We should remember that even when the entire world opposed his actions, Hitler remained unfazed. The RSS is following his footsteps," he said.
Vijayan also attacked the Congress, which backed out from a joint protest against the CAA.
The chief minister continued his attack on the Congress leadership, alleging that they were completely silent even after the rules for the implementation of the CAA were notified recently by the Centre.
The Left party is organising massive anti-CAA rallies at five places in the state. The first rally was held at Kozhikode on Friday. Three more rallies will be held in the coming days at Kannur, Malappuram and Kollam.
The CAA was passed in December 2019 and subsequently, got the president's assent, but there were protests in several parts of the country against the law, with many opposition parties calling it "discriminatory".
The Act grants citizenship to undocumented migrants of all religions - except Muslims - from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, who arrived in India before December 31, 2014.
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Sambhal violence: Prohibitory orders issued, outsiders barred from entry till Nov 30
Sambhal (UP) (PTI): The district administration has imposed prohibitory orders and barred the entry of outsiders till November 30 after three men were killed and scores of others, including security and administration personnel, injured in a violence by protesters opposing a court-ordered survey of a Mughal-era mosque.
The order has been issued under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), said District Magistrate Rajender Pensiya late on Sunday.
"No outsiders, other social organisations or public representatives will enter the district border without the permission of the competent officer," said the order, which came into force with immediate effect.
Violation of the order will be punishable under Section 223 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the BNS.
Violence broke out in the district on Sunday as protesters opposing the survey of the Jama Masjid clashed with security personnel. The protesters torched vehicles and pelted the police with stones while the security personnel used tear gas and batons to disperse the mob.
Divisional Commissioner (Moradabad) Aunjaneya Kumar Singh said on Sunday, "Shots were fired by miscreants... the PRO of the superintendent of police suffered a gunshot to the leg, the circle officer was hit by pellets and 15 to 20 security personnel were injured in the violence."
A constable also suffered a serious head injury while the deputy collector fractured his leg.
"Three people, identified as Naeem, Bilal and Nauman, have been killed," Singh said.
Twenty-one people, including two women, have been detained and a probe has been launched, the official had said, adding that those accused in the violence would be booked under the stringent National Security Act (NSA).
District Magistrate Rajender Pensiya said, "The casualty count stands at three. The reason for the deaths of two is clear -- bullet wounds from countrymade pistols. The reason for the death of the third person is not clear but it will be after post-mortem."
Internet services were soon suspended in Sambhal tehsil for 24 hours and the district administration declared a holiday in all schools for Monday.
Tension had been brewing in Sambhal since November 19 when the Jama Masjid was first surveyed on the court's orders following a petition claiming that a Harihar temple had stood at the site.
Trouble started early on Sunday when a large group of people gathered near the mosque and started shouting slogans as the survey team began its work.
District officials said the survey could not be completed on Tuesday and was planned for Sunday to avoid interference with afternoon prayers.
Supreme Court lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain, who is a petitioner in the case, had earlier said the Court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) ordered the constitution of an "advocate commission" to survey the mosque.
The court has said a report should be filed after conducting a videography and photography survey through the commission, he had said.
On Sunday, Jain urged the Archaeological Survey of India to take control of the "temple".
Gopal Sharma, a local lawyer for the Hindu side, had earlier claimed the temple that once stood at the site was demolished by Mughal Emperor Babur in 1529.
