154 prominent citizens support CAA, NPR, NRC; writes to President
New Delhi: As many as 154 prominent citizens, including former judges, bureaucrats, armed forces officers and academicians, on Monday said a "false and motivated" campaign is being launched against the CAA, NPR and NRC with a sinister design to harm the nation and sought action against trouble-makers.
In a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind, the citizens urged the central government to look into the ongoing protests with all seriousness and safeguard the democratic institutions of the country, and take stern action against those people behind them.
The citizens, including 11 former judges of different high courts, 24 retired IAS officers, 11 former Indian Foreign Service officers, 16 retired IPS and 18 former Lieutenant Generals, said "fear" is being spread across the length and breadth of India which appears to be "motivated and with a sinister design" to harm the nation.
They said the campaign is being carried out in a "coordinated manner" leading to violent protests in which public and private property has been destroyed.
The citizens said there has been a "false and nefarious narrative" about the recently enacted legislations like the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the idea of the National Population Register (NPR) and National Register of Citizens (NRC).
They said that while the CAA has been enacted, the idea of NPR and NRC which has been a part of the Indian discourse since Independence remains to be implemented.
"This (protests) has grave security implications and does not bode well for our motherland.
"These protests, while ostensibly claiming to oppose the policies of Government of India, are in effect designed to destroy the very fabric of this country and harm the nation's unity and integrity," they said.
The citizens claimed that they strongly feel that there is also an external dimension to the disturbances being created.
According to CAA, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014, facing religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship.
The NPR will be carried out along with the house listing phase of the census exercise from April 1 to September 30.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah had recently said the government has not yet taken any decision on implementing the NRC.
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Social media campaigns, flexboards won't decide who will be Kerala CM: Chennithala
New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, a CM hopeful, on Wednesday said that social media campaigns and putting up of flexboards wiill not be the deciding factors for selecting the chief minister of Kerala.
Chennithala made the remark in response to reporters queries in Delhi on the intense social media campaign in favour of V D Satheesan as CM on the ground that he led the UDF poll campaign from the front.
"Who should be CM is not decided based on social media campaigns or the flexboards put up by the supporters. It is decided by the high command in accordance with the procedure already in place.
"As part of that two party observers will reach Kerala by evening and they will speak to all the MLAs. After that, the party high command will take a decision," the senior Congress leader said.
He said that the high command will take the decision based on party interests and everyone will accept it.
Chennithala also rejected queries about whether the alleged contest within the party for the CM post will create any displeasure among the voters.
"There will be no displeasure among voters as there is no contest," he contended.
On whether there was a delay in announcing the CM for Kerala, Chennithala said that the chief minister has not been selected in the other state where polls were held.
"So, can it be said that there is a delay in the case of Kerala?" he asked.
He said that he was in Delhi for a meeting with Rahul Gandhi regarding finalisation of the DCC presidents in Maharashtra.
