Yogendra Yadav lashes out at Modi govt over CAA

Criticising the Centre over the Citizenship Amendment Act, Swaraj India president Yogendra Yadav said it is unfortunate that Prime Minister Narendra Modi can only see the "white cap" and "hijab" (worn by Muslims) but not the national flag in the hands of lakhs of people.

He said the ongoing protests across the country against some decisions of the Centre were a way for people to vent out their "suffocation". The politician-activist was addressing a rally in Bhiwandi town here on Saturday night to oppose CAA, the proposed nationwide National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the National Population Register (NPR).

Maharashtra Housing Minister Jitendra Awhad, JD(S) national general secretary and Justice (retd) B G Kolse-Patil and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)student leader Umar Khalid also addressed the gathering. "Modi can only see the white cap and 'hijab' and not not the tricolour in the hands of lakhs of people which is unfortunate. The suffocation in the country has come out through these agitations," Yadav said.

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He also said that the agitation at Shaheen Bagh in Delhi has "proved the power of women". The protesters, who are opposing the CAA and NRC, have been sitting on protest at Shaheen Bagh for over a month. The road is a key link between Noida and Delhi and has been closed by Noida Traffic Police in view of the ongoing protests.

Addressing people of the powerloom town of Bhiwandi, Yadav said if there is warp and weft (two basic components for weaving), then the produce will be a good cloth. "People of Bhiwandi (weavers) recognise clothes and they will surely recognise the colour of Modi," he said. On the occasion, JNU student leader Umar Khalid said Bharat is the country of people like Babasaheb Ambedkar and not of Modis.

"We survive and eat out of our efforts and not on the 'tukda' of Ambani," he said. Khalid also said that Modi earlier wore the "mask" of a 'vikas purush', and has now put on the mask of being the brother of Muslim women. The strings woven in Bhiwandi town keep members of both the Hindu and Muslim communities here united, he added. Awhad said time has now come to show the Modi government its place, and asserted that CAA will not be implemented in the state, just like Punjab and Kerala.

"This is my word," the NCP leader said. Several Hindus cannot identify where they performed the last rights of their father, but in case of Muslims they can identify the graves of their ancestors, he noted. He also said that members of the state's Pardhi and Kolhati communities can never provide proof (of citizenship). Kolse-Patil said this fight was against the "Brahminical thoughts".

"NRC and CAA are not anti-Muslim, but Muslim is only an excuse. Their (government) target is Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes. If we come together and fight this war, we will surely win it," he said. He also asked people to reach out to every village and locality and spread the message against CAA, NRC and NPR.

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