Published 12:24 IST, January 14th 2020
Satya Nadella's CAA view 'example of how literate need to be educated': BJP's Lekhi
BJP leader & MP Meenakshi Lekhi has taken on Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella after the latter had issued two back-to-back statements about the Citizenship Act
After the statement by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on the amended Citizenship Act, BJP leader and MP Meenakshi Lekhi has taken on the Microsoft CEO branding him a perfect example of 'how a literate needs to be educated', accusing him of getting his opinion wrong.
Nadella while speaking to editors at a Microsoft event in Manhattan had expressed his dismay over the CAA stating 'what is happening is sad' adding that he would love to see a Bangladeshi immigrant become next CEO of Infosys.
"I think what is happening is sad... It's just bad.... I would love to see a Bangladeshi immigrant who comes to India and creates the next unicorn in India or becomes the next CEO of Infosys," said Nadella, as per US media.
Soon after that, Microsoft India issued an elaborate statement of Nadella in an attempt to clarify his stand
"Every country will and should define its borders, protect national security and set immigration policy accordingly. And in democracies, that is something that the people and their governments will debate and define within those bounds. I'm shaped by my Indian heritage, growing up in a multicultural India and my immigrant experience in the United States. My hope is for an India where an immigrant can aspire to found a prosperous start-up or lead a multinational corporation benefitting Indian society and the economy at large," Nadella wrote.
Nadella's statement sparks off a massive debate on social media
The Microsoft CEO's statement has sparked off a massive debate over social media with a large section of people contending that he had misunderstood the provisions of the CAA. On one hand, historian Ramchandra Guha lauded Nadella for speaking his mind. He called upon leading IT giants in India to follow suit. The Microsoft CEO, however, came in for some intense scrutiny from journalist Kanchan Gupta and lawyer Kartikeya Tanna. The former clarified that the Act was meant only to expedite the citizenship procedure for persecuted minorities. Meanwhile, Tanna reminded Nadella of the Lautenberg Amendment, a law in the US that gave preference to religious minorities in the Soviet Union and Iran.
The process of implementing the amended Citizenship Act has started with Uttar Pradesh becoming the first state to start the implementation process after the center issued a gazette notification announcing that the CAA has come into effect from January 10, 2020.
Updated 12:24 IST, January 14th 2020