P Chidambaram calls CAA 'malicious and mischievous'

Former Home Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram continued the attack on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and called it "malicious and mischievous" law. Chidambaram was speaking at an event in Pune on Friday.

READ: Secularism, Citizenship Under Challenge In Country: Chidambaram

Chidambaram said, "We are opposing the Act on the basis of constitutional morality and constitutional legality. Right now, the ball is in the Supreme Court and we are confident that it will strike down (the law) and redeem the honour of the people of India." On the alleged discrimination, he said, "We are just asking if persecuted Hindu minorities from these three countries are allowed, why not Tamils and Hindus from Sri Lanka and Burma and Buddhist from Nepal and Bhutan are allowed."

READ: PM Modi Slams Opposition To NPR, Reminds Congress 'UPA Introduced And Promoted It'

Speaking on the National Register of Citizens (NRC), he said, "After spending Rs 1,400 crore for the NRC exercise, 40 lakh people were labelled stateless -- not once but twice. Revised exercise rendered 19 lakh people stateless. When the people of Assam rejected it, the (Narendra) Modi government suddenly thought that something should be done and they brought this CAA."

Chidambaram and Congress have led multiple protests against the CAA across the country, with Chidambaram also leading a protest of more than a thousand people in Tamil Nadu along with the Congress' regional allies, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). 

READ: Rajasthan Assembly Passes Anti-CAA Resolution, Third After Kerala And Punjab

PM Modi hit back at the opposition for protesting against the CAA across the country in the Parliament earlier this week. He said that the repeal of the CAA in certain States will lead to anarchy. If the Rajasthan assembly enacts a law and no one accepts it, what will be the situation? If the Madhya Pradesh assembly decides something and people come out on the streets against it, can you run a country like this? This will be the path to anarchy." The Prime Minister also accused the opposition leaders, "Who were once sleeping" of now becoming violent. 

READ: 'Opposition Netas Who Were Once Silent Are Now Violent': PM Modi Strikes Back Over CAA