'Study CAA': Ramdas Athawale to Naseeruddin Shah after open anti-CAA letter

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale asked filmmaker Naseeruddin Shah to "study" Citizenship Amendment Act and understand that it doesn't harm interests of Indian Muslims. Athawale was responding to Naseeruddin Shah joining hands with 300 artists, including filmmakers such as Ratna Pathak Shah, Jaaved Jafferi, Nandita Das, Mira Nair, among ors to sign an open letter standing in solidarity with students who have been protesting incessantly against CAA and National Register of Citizens (NRC). 

"Naseeruddin Shah is a good artist and everyone enjoys his films. But I think he needs to study about this Act and understand it better. re is thing in it that will harm Indian Muslims r ir citizenship. law is meant to provide citizenship to mirities in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Hence he should support government," Ramdas Athawale said.

READ | Over 300 Celebrities Pen Open Letter Opposing CAA/NRC, Agree To Have Stayed 'silent'

Celebs pen an open letter opposing CAA-NRC 

Saluting student's collective cry for upholding principles of Constitution of India, letter stated, " policies and actions of present government, passed quickly through Parliament and without opportunity for public dissent or open discussion, are antitical to principle of a secular, inclusive nation. soul of nation is threatened.''

Claiming to be aware that a few of m have remained 'silent' in 'face of injustice', open letter stated that, " gravity of this moment demands that each of us stand for our principles.”

READ | Ramdas Athawale Calls It 'Right Of Govt' After Center Brings In NIA On Bhima Koregaon

Furr pinpointing loophole in Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), one-p document stated that ones who have been deemed 'illegal' through NRC may be eligible for citizenship under CAA unless y are Muslim. Questioning objective of government, letter asks why mirities from neighbouring areas such as Sri Lanka, China and Myanmar have been excluded.

READ | Assam And rast Are An Integral Part Of India, Cant Be Separated: Athawale

Rest of letter: 

"Several citizens have been killed while protesting. Many more have been placed in preventive detention. Section 144 has been imposed in numerous states to curb protests. We need to look furr than Kashmir to see how far this government is willing to go to suppress democratic dissent. Kashmir is w living under longest Internet shutdown ever imposed by a democratic government. Eugh is eugh. Those of us who have been quiet in past, our silence ends w. We will be clear-sighted in our dissent. Like our freedom fighters before us, we stand for a secular and inclusive vision of India. We stand with those who bravely oppose anti-Muslim and divisive policies. We stand with those who stand up for democracy. We will be with you on our streets and across all our platforms. We are in solidarity.”

READ | w, Pakistan Quotes Naseeruddin Shah To Tell 'bitter Truth' About India