Hold dialogue with anti-CAA protesters: Digvijay to PM, Shah

Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Monday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to hold a dialogue with protesters opposing the CAA-NRC-NPR regime, to prevent "further deterioration" of the current situation.

Singh also said the "movement" against the new citizenship law and the two other proposed exercises has now gone out of the hands of politicians, as it has turned into an "emotional issue".

"The movement against the CAA, NPR and NRC has gone out of the hands of politicians and political parties and has become an emotional issue, which should not be linked with politics," Singh told reporters.

He made a brief stopover in Sehore to meet local leaders while on his way to Dhar. Protests have been held against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) across the country.

"Amit Shah had said that CAA bill will be followed by the NPR and then the NRC in a chronological order. Now, if they want to handle the situation properly then PM Modi and Shah should hold a dialogue with those staging protests.

"They should clear all doubts from the mind of protesters otherwise the situation will further worsen in the country," Singh added.

Answering a question on Shah's appeal to the people of Delhi where assembly polls will be held on February 8, Singh said, "As they (BJP leaders) have no issues to raise, they are setting the country on fire (by making such statements)". Shah on Sunday said that people in Delhi should press the EVM button with such anger that the protesters in Shaheen Bagh "feel the current".