Lucknow: Former chief minister and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, who met on Saturday the families of those killed in violence during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Firozabad in December last year, hit out at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for introducing a ‘divisive’ law and then trying to reach out to people by holding pro-CAA rallies.
He said the amended Citizenship Act that seeks to give citizenship to refugees on the basis of religion is against the poor people of the country.
“The CAA and the proposed implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is against the poor people of the nation. From where would the poor people arrange old papers to prove their citizenship? We demand an investigation by a sitting high court judge into the deaths caused during the anti-CAA protests as the role of police is in question here and they can’t conduct a fair probe,” he said, adding the protesters were killed in police firing.
As promised by the SP, Yadav handed over cheques worth Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the youth who were killed when violence broke out in Firozabad during the anti-CAA protests.
Speaking to reporters after meeting the families on Saturday, the former Uttar Pradesh CM said, “These laws (CAA and proposed NRC) are basically wrong and if they are not so, then has the BJP hit the streets to reach out to people even after passing the law in Parliament. When people have their AADHAR cards, why do they need any other document? This law is aimed at dividing the country and that is why, the entire country is protesting against it. Even the students of colleges and universities are protesting against this draconian law.”
He said violence during the protests was perpetrated by anti-social elements at the behest of the state government to discredit the peaceful uprising against the controversial law and proposed NRC implementation.
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