'How Will Landless Get Papers for Proof': On Bijnor Visit, Priyanka Gandhi's Tough Questions on CAA

Lucknow: The All India Congress Committee general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday demanded a Judicial probe into the deaths of people who were killed in Uttar Pradesh during the anti CAA and NRC protests in the last few days. Accompanied by former Union Minister Jitin Prasada, Priyanka met families of the deceased people in Bijnor district. 16 people have so far been killed in UP during the anti-CAA protests.

Speaking to media after meeting the families of the victims, Gandhi said, “I had come to know about the violence in Uttar Pradesh yesterday. Two people had been killed in Bijnor so I decided to come down and meet the families of the deceased. I have been hearing about the circumstances in which people have been killed and I think there should be an enquiry into the deaths of the people. Families here have told me that when they wanted to register an FIR, they were instead threatened with an FIR against them. This is completely illegal.”

Talking about the Citizenship Amendment Act and the proposed National Register of Citizenship (NRC), the Congress leader said, “This law is against the poor and farmers. A farmer who doesn’t have any land, you are going to ask land papers from him? Ask proof of being Indian from him? If someone is working on daily wages and living in a Jhuggi, then how can you ask for land papers from them? Nobody has the right to ask for proof of being an Indian.”

“The economic situation of the country is going from bad to worse. GDP is at its lowest point and unemployment is out of control. To divert everyone’s attention from such a grave situation, this law has been introduced. Students across educational institutions are against it but our PM does not want to listen to them,” she added.

Earlier on Sunday, Samajwadi Party Chief and former Chief Minister of UP Akhilesh Yadav had attacked Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government in the state and had alleged that the violence was done by miscreants to discredit the peaceful protest.

The amended citizenship law allows citizenship to Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis who entered India before 2014 after facing religious persecution in three neighbouring countries. The list excludes Muslims.