Shaheen Bagh protest an example of dilemma between rights and duties of people: Naqvi

Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Saturday termed the Shaheen Bagh protest against CAA as an example of the "dilemma" between rights and duties of the people.

"They (protesters) understand their rights but not their duties. I do not think one can achieve their rights by hijacking (blocking) a road," Naqvi said at Indian Student Parliament event held at Vigyan Bhawan here.

"We will always be caught up in confusion if we do not understand our rights and duties," he said.

The protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), primarily by local women, started in Shaheen Bagh in mid-December and has led to blocking of a road connecting southeast Delhi areas to Noida causing daily hardships to commuters.

Naqvi said fundamental rights and duties of citizens are equally important. Rights and responsibilities are two sides of the same coin and both go together. "If we have rights, we also have some responsibilities attached to those rights," he said.

"Our sisters are sitting in Shaheen Bagh for many days. This is dilemma(kashmkash) between rights and duties," he said, adding unless rights and duties are seen together such "confusion" will prevail.

He asserted that the culture, commitment and tolerance of the majority community in India has strengthened the fabric of harmony and “unity in diversity” in the country.

Some people are involved in conspiracy to create "fake fear" through "lyrics of lies" and "jingles of jugglery".

"These people are trying to hijack communal harmony, secularism and constitutional framework of the country to fulfil their narrow-minded political self-interests," he claimed.

The federal system of governance in the country is guarantee of communal harmony, he said.

Naqvi said that a proper environment for enjoying rights will be created if every citizen performs his or her duties and added people's representatives should set an example for the common masses.

"Our country has emerged not only as the largest democracy but also as a glowing symbol of a vibrant, inclusive culture with the flourishing parliamentary system, with the Constitution acting as the guarantee for protecting the rights of every section of the society."

The four-day Indian Student Parliament conclave is being participated by nearly 10,000 students from 450 universities across the country. PTI VIT SMN