‘Managing headlines’ to ‘targeting Muslims’ — in Oppn camp, most guarded, some slam CAA move outright

New Delhi: The Centre’s notification of rules for implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act Monday invited a barrage of criticism from opposition parties, but most, including the Congress, refrained from framing the issue along stark religious lines, choosing to describe it as the government’s way of “managing headlines” ahead of the Lok Sabha election.

The Congress, the largest party in the Opposition’s INDIA bloc, said the home ministry’s move to notify the rules, which were pending for over four years since the passage of the CAA, was tied to the Supreme Court directing the State Bank of India (SBI) to disclose electoral bonds details by Tuesday, rejecting the state-run bank’s plea for an extension till 30 June.

Ramesh, who is a Rajya Sabha MP, added that the “timing right before the elections is evidently designed to polarise the elections, especially in West Bengal and Assam”. 

“It also appears to be an attempt to manage the headlines after the Supreme Court’s severe strictures on the electoral bonds scandal,” he further said.

In contrast, Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), which has often accused the Congress of tip-toeing around issues of religious discrimination to appease “majoritarian sentiments”, underlined that CAA was “meant to only target Muslims”, and that people have no option but to oppose it on the streets again. The passage of the CAA in December 2019 had triggered protests across the country, including in Delhi which also witnessed communal riots in early 2020.

On Monday, Owaisi posted on microblogging platform X that while it was evident that the rules were being notified by the BJP-led Centre with an eye on the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the AIMIM remains clear that the law “is divisive and based on Godse’s thought that wanted to reduce Muslims to second-class citizens.”

“Give asylum to anyone who is persecuted but citizenship must not be based on religion or nationality. The government should explain why it kept these rules pending for five years and why it’s implementing it now. Along with NPR-NRC, CAA is meant to only target Muslims, it serves no other purpose. Indians who came out on the streets to oppose CAA NPR NRC will have no choice but to oppose it again,” Owaisi posted.

Aap chronology samajhiye, pehle election season aayega phir CAA rules aayenge. Our objections to CAA remain the same. CAA is divisive & based on Godse’s thought that wanted to reduce Muslims to second-class citizens.

Give asylum to anyone who is persecuted but citizenship must…

— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) March 11, 2024

The Congress party’s stance on CAA has always been marked by a duality due to the tightrope walk between avoiding coming across as anti-Hindu, while also not antagonising Muslims. It is only in the northeastern states that the Congress has vocally opposed the law as it finds no favour with most regional parties and civil society groups in those states, including Assam, due to fear of its potential impact on altering demographics of the region.

Also Read: Proof of nationality, date of entry to India — what’s required for citizenship under CAA rules

What Mamata, Kejriwal, Akhilesh said

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee also issued a guarded response on the matter. Speaking in a hurriedly called press conference as speculations swirled about the possible notification of CAA, she said she would oppose the law “if it discriminates against groups of people living in India”. She also said that the CAA could be used as a precursor to the implementation of NRC.

The TMC chief’s carefully worded response reflected her concern that a blanket criticism of the legislation might cost the party votes of the Matua community members who stand to gain from it. The BJP has made the implementation of CAA its main poll plank in the state.

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal highlighted the anxiety among indigenous communities of the Northeast in his response on the CAA rules, saying the Centre’s move was akin to “betrayal” with the people of Assam and other northeastern states who have been “victims of migration from Bangladesh and whose language and culture are in danger today”.

दस साल देश पर राज करने के बाद एन चुनाव के पहले मोदी सरकार CAA लेकर आयी है। ऐसे वक़्त जब गरीब और मध्यम वर्ग महंगाई से कराह रहा है और बेरोज़गार युवा रोज़गार के लिए दर दर की ठोकरें खा रहा है, उन असली मुद्दों का समाधान करने की बजाय ये लोग CAA लाये हैं।

कह रहे हैं कि तीन पड़ोसी देशों…

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) March 11, 2024

In the Northeast, parties and civil society groups are against cross-border migration, particularly from Bangladesh, of not just Muslims, but Hindus also. Pradyot Manikya Debbarma, the founder of TIPRA Motha which is the BJP’s latest ally in the region, told ThePrint last week that notwithstanding him joining hands with the BJP, TIPRA Motha will continue to oppose the CAA unless it keeps tribal-dominated pockets of northeast out of its ambit.

Kejriwal, meanwhile, also reiterated his position, which he had made even during the height of the anti-CAA agitation, that granting citizenship to minorities from neighbouring Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan under the law made no sense when India was reeling under “inflation, unemployment” and other issues. In other words, he framed the issue in economic terms rather than focussing on its alleged discriminatory aspect along religious lines. 

“It is being said that minorities from three neighbouring countries will be given citizenship in India. That means they want to bring people from neighbouring countries to India and settle them. Why? To create their vote bank. When our youth do not have employment then who will provide jobs to the people coming from neighbouring countries? Who will build houses for them? Will BJP provide them employment? Will the BJP build houses for them?” Kejriwal posted on X.

“The entire country opposes CAA. First give jobs to our children, first give houses to our people. Then bring people from other countries to our country. Every country in the whole world stops the poor from other countries from entering their country because it reduces the employment scope of the locals. BJP is probably the only party in the world which is indulging in this dirty politics,” Kejriwal added.

Both Congress and AAP are among parties which had opposed the CAA in Parliament. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also echoed Kejriwal in his criticism of the CAA rules, saying there was no point in introducing a law for granting citizenship to outsiders when “citizens of this country are forced to go outside to earn a living”.

Mayawati, whose party BSP is not a part of the INDIA bloc, said in a statement that rather than implementing CAA ahead of the polls, “it would have been better had the Centre removed the doubts and apprehensions regarding the law” in the minds of people.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said the notification of the CAA rules was “aimed at diverting attention” from the SC ruling on electoral bonds. 

His party colleague and Kerala Chief Minister Pinrayi Vijayan’s response was more sharply worded. “This can only be seen as part of the Hindutva communal agenda of the Sangh Parivar. Denying citizenship to Muslims while granting citizenship to non-Muslims who immigrated to India from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan on or before 31 December 2014, is a blatant violation of the Constitution,” he said in a statement. 

“This amounts to defining Indian citizenship on the basis of religion. It is an open challenge to humanity, the nation’s secular tradition and its people,” Vijayan further said, which reiterated the LDF government’s position that Kerala will not see the implementation of CAA.

(Edited by Gitanjali Das)

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