Ravi Shankar Prasad connects Shaheen Bagh protest with Rahul, Kejriwal
What's the story
BJP doesn't approve of what is happening in Shaheen Bagh and has claimed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Congress President Rahul Gandhi have a link with it. Today, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the protest is a textbook case of what happens when a few hundred suppress "peaceful majority". "This is the true face of Shaheen Bagh," he claimed.
Context
The religion criteria in CAA has sparked concerns
For more than a month now, women have been sitting on roads, demanding that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is scrapped. The law says that non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, will be favored when applying for Indian citizenship. Fearing persecution, Muslim women have been protesting in Shaheen Bagh. In the last couple of days, this model was replicated in different parts.
Statement
Both Kejriwal and Rahul are silent on Shaheen Bagh: Prasad
As is obvious, BJP has been dismissing the protest and called it a handiwork of opposition. Falling in line with the same thought, Prasad said, "Shaheen Bagh is emerging as a textbook case of a few hundred people seeking to suppress the peaceful majority. This is the true face of Shaheen Bagh. Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal are both silent on this issue."
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Prasad also mentioned the infamous 'Tukde Tukde Gang'
"It is offering a platform to 'Tukde Tukde Gang' elements under the garb of opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Act. This protest is not just a protest against CAA it is a protest against (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi," the Union Minister said.
What he said
Millions are suffering because of protest: Prasad
His comments come at the peak of electioneering for Delhi polls. The National Capital will vote on February 8, and results will be declared on February 11. Prasad said there were millions who were suffering due to the protest, perhaps hinting at traffic woes. Due to the agitation, the Shaheen Bagh-Kalindi Kunj stretch has been shut, putting the burden on the Delhi-Noida-Delhi flyway.
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Kejriwal and his deputy stand with protesters, he added
"The millions who are silent but are facing trouble because of these protests also have their right to freedom of speech and expression. (Arvind) Kejriwal and (Deputy Chief Minister) Manish Sisodia stand with Shaheen Bagh protesters," Prasad went on.
Counter statement
Thereafter, Kejriwal said BJP is making people's lives difficult
Hitting back, Kejriwal said it was BJP who didn't want to provide a reprieve to people. "Many people are facing difficulties because of the Shaheen Bagh protest. The BJP does not want the road to open, it is indulging in dirty politics instead. BJP leaders should immediately go to Shaheen Bagh to hold discussions and the get the road opened," he tweeted in Hindi.