Nadda directs state BJP heads to protest against anti-CAA parties for spreading 'rumours'

Amid increasing protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act across the country, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) working President JP Nadda has directed BJP state presidents of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Kerala and Punjab to stage protests against Congress, TMC and communist parties for allegedly spreading rumours about the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Opposition parties led protests in several parts of the country against the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 labelling it as unconstitutional. Protesters in the north-eastern states of Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya resorted to massive violence which resulted in a complete breakdown of law and order situation in the states.

On Saturday, the BJP working president directed all the BJP MPs to inform and educate the refugees about the Citizenship Amendment Act.

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Protests in Northeast

The contentious Bill was smoothly passed in both Houses of the Parliament despite the opposition's rigid stance against the Bill, followed by the President's assent on Thursday. However, after the Bill was passed, violent protests erupted in the Northeastern states such as Assam, Tripura and Meghalaya. Army columns had been deployed in the Northeastern states to bring the situation under control. Mobile and Internet services were also suspended in the states. The protests also affected connectivity, as several trains and flights remained cancelled.

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Citizenship Amendment Act

The Citizenship Amendment Act grants Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. Through this act, Indian citizenship can be sought by the members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from the three countries to India till December 31, 2014.  The Bill had been passed by the Lok Sabha earlier this year but lapsed with the term of the previous Lok Sabha during the first term of the PM Narendra Modi government in the Centre. The bill was again passed in the winter session of Lok Sabha with a roaring majority of 311 votes in favour while 80 against the Bill, and in Rajya Sabha with 125 in favour of the bill out of the 245 member Rajya Sabha.

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READ | JP Nadda Directs BJP MPs To Inform Refugees About Citizenship Amendment Act

(With inputs from ANI)