On protests against Citizenship Amendment Act in various universities and educational institutions, Shah said that the government is ready to hold dialogues with the protesting students
Home Minister Amit Shah said that police will have to take action if students resort to violence or destroy public property. He was responding to a question on violence against Jamia Millia Islamia students during their protest against Citizenship Amendment Act during an interview with India Today.
“If students or someone with the protesting students tries to burn down public property or resort to violence and the police does not take action then I believe the police is not doing its duty. When a protest becomes violent then it is the duty of the police to contain the violence, and they did so – fulfilling their duty,” Shah said at Aajtak Agenda 2019.
On protests against Citizenship Amendment Act in various universities and educational institutions, Shah said that the government is ready to hold dialogues with the protesting students. The Home Minister said these students are against the new citizenship law because they have not studied them in detail.
“I want to appeal to the students that they should study this Act in details and then if they feel there is something wrong, they can come forward and hold discussions with the government. We are ready to explain our position,” Shah said.
The recently passed Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, is facing resistance across the country. The legislation aims to grant Indian citizenship to immigrants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Parsi, Jain and Christian communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who have faced persecution in these countries. People not belonging to these religious communities or coming from other countries will not be covered under this new law.
Meanwhile, Shah claimed that the Modi government has given citizenship to around 600 Muslims from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan and six lakh Sri Lankan Tamils since coming to power in 2014.
