CAA, NRC in tune with Constitution: BS Yediyurappa

Last week witnessed protests around Karnataka in defiance of prohibitory orders imposed for three days from December 19. Two persons were killed in Mangalore during the protests on December 19 following police firing in Bunder area of the city.

With the prohibitory orders lapsing on Saturday night, police granted permission for protests to be held by various groups in closed spaces such as fields and auditoriums from Sunday. A major protest is scheduled on Monday at the Idgah Maidan.

The Chief Minister in his statement accused leaders of opposition Congress and JD(S) of misleading people on the issue although the Opposition has been questioning the handling of protests by the government more than CAA and NRC per se.

“All opposition to CAA and NRC have no basis and fears on the issue are unfounded. There are misconceptions on the two issues and opposition leaders, including Siddaramaiah and H D Kumaraswamy, are trying to mislead the people,’’ he said.

“My feeling on CAA and NRC is all the opposition leaders have not read or understood the Act. At least these leaders should read the details of the CAA when the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha discussed it for days. I want to ask why the Congress leaders are silent about Dr Manmohan Singh’s speech in Rajya Sabha in 2003 stressing the need for an amendment to the then existing CAA,” he said.

Siddaramaiah and Kumaraswamy have questioned the handling of protests by the government in the past few days.

“I demand that the Chief Minister dismiss the Home Minister and officers concerned over the violence. A judicial inquiry should be conducted,” former chief minister Kumaraswamy said following a visit to Mangalore on Sunday.

“I want to ask the government when permission was given in the afternoon of December 18 for protests why a video conference was held and a decision was taken at 7 pm to ban the protests. Groups had already communicated to supporters about the protest. At many places, people came out because they were confused since mixed messages were received on social media. Protests were held despite the prohibitory orders in many places on December 19 as a result,” the JD(S) leader said.

“The incidents are not related to communal violence but of clashes between the police and protesters. All those involved in the firing must be suspended immediately. We will not leave this issue. We will fight it out.”

Congress leader and former chief minister Siddaramaiah said the BJP government’s suppression of protests against NRC and CAA was the cause for disruption of law and order.

“If democracy has to survive, people have to be allowed to protest against policies that are unconstitutional and illegal. Even courts in the country have through many orders acknowledged the role of protests in the country,’’ Siddaramaiah said.

He was barred from entering Mangalore last week while curfew prevailed after police firing on protesters.

“People from all communities and groups are participating in the protests and it is not restricted to any one community. There was no need to impose section 144 in Karnataka. The Supreme Court says that there should be a situation that warrants section 144 but here the government has on suspicion imposed it with the intention of curbing freedom of speech. This is also unconstitutional,’’ he said in a press briefing.