CPI's D Raja accuses BJP of having no 'rational argument' to counter opposition

CPI General Secretary D Raja on Tuesday, January 14, accused BJP of having no "rational argument" to counter the opposition over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC). According to him, "The Opposition parties are taking up genuine issues."

Raja said, "It is not just the opposition parties, the people are raising the issue across the country and BJP has no answer. The Prime Minister has no answer, moreover, the Home Minister does not have an answer. They resort to abuses and taking Pakistan's name, it will make Pakistan happy."

Calling CAA unconstitutional, D Raja said, "The answer to the argument is an argument. BJP can not justify it, RSS can not justify it and that is the point to be admitted. Opposition parties are demanding that CAA must be repealed." 

Congress allies skip meeting on CAA

Several leaders of the Congress, along with 19 other opposition parties held a meeting on Monday in order to corner the government over CAA and NRC. However, Mamata Banerjee led Trinamool Congress, Mayawati's BSP, Samajwadi Party and DMK were among the notable absentees in the meeting that was held to deliberate a counter CAA strategy. 

Taking a jibe at it, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the "parties stand exposed as Congress' allies kept away from the meeting. He said, "CAA is a chance to expose the barbaric treatment of minorities in Pakistan."

Read: BIG: Kerala government challenges CAA in Supreme Court, becomes first state to do so

Read: Satya Nadella's CAA view 'example of how literate need to be educated': BJP's Lekhi

Unrest over CAA across the country

The Citizenship Act was passed in the Lok Sabha on December 9 and then by the Rajya Sabha on December 11. The Act seeks to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. 

Huge unrest broke out across the country after the bill was passed and ended up taking a violent turn. The protests initially erupted across Assam, West Bengal, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, following the violence at Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi where over 50 students were detained by police during the protests. 

Read: JNU violence: CPI leader D Raja questions Delhi Police over its inaction

Read: CPI data shows higher consumer inflation rates pegged at 7.35% in Dec against 5.54% in Nov

(With ANI inputs)