Union Minister Prakash Javadekar (Photo Credit: PTI)
New Delhi :
Citing the ongoing anti-CAA protests at Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Friday said the people of the national capital need to decide whether they want ‘Jinnah Wali Azaadi’ or ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’. Prakash Javadekar also accused the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress of ‘poisoning’ the minds of minorities. Ahead of the Delhi Assembly Elections scheduled for February 8, the BJP leadership has sharpened attack on the Congress and the AAP over the amended Citizenship Act and continuing protest against it at Shaheen Bagh for more than a month.
“We have seen ‘Jinnah Wali Azadi” slogan being raised there. Now, Delhi people need to decide if they want ‘Jinnah Wali Azadi’ or ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’,” Javadekar said in a press conference.
Javadekar blamed the Congress and the ruling party for ‘instigating’ violent protests against the CAA in the national capital.
“Delhi people should ask both parties why did they instigate violence. The nexus of AAP and Congress is behind the Shaheen Bagh protest. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia have supported the protest,” Javadekar alleged.
The protest at Shaheen Bagh started mid-December following a violent anti-CAA protest at Jamia Millia University in the neighbourhood.
A road linking south east Delhi areas to Noida has been blocked due to the protest causing daily hardships to commuters and residents of localities including Badarpur, Sarita Vihar, Madanpur Khadar and Jasola.
“They (AAP and Congress) are misleading and poisoning the minds of the minorities including children,” said the senior BJP leader.
He asserted that CAA was not going to affect the citizenship of any Indian, and blamed that political parties were raising the bogey of CAA and National Register of Citizens (NRC) to defeat the BJP in the elections. The CAA is aimed at providing citizenship to persecuted minorities including Hindus and Sikhs in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, he said.
