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BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. (File)
A day after Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella spoke out against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, an issue that has sparked widespread outrage across the country, BJP MP MP Meenakshi Lekhi Tuesday called his remark a “perfect example” of “how literate need to be educated”.
“Precise reason for CAA is to grant opportunities to persecuted minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. How about granting these opportunities to Syrian Muslims instead of Yezidis in USA?” Lekhi tweeted.
How literate need to be educated ! Perfect example. Precise reason for CAA is to grant opportunities to persecuted minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan & Afghanistan.
How about granting these opportunities to Syrian Muslims instead of Yezidis in USA ? pic.twitter.com/eTm0EQ1O25— Meenakashi Lekhi (@M_Lekhi) January 14, 2020
The BJP pushback came after the Microsoft CEO weighed in on the CAA, saying “what is happening is sad…just bad,” according to BuzzFeed Editor-in-Chief Ben Smith.
“I think what is happening is sad… It’s just bad…. I would love to see a Bangladeshi immigrant who comes to India and creates the next unicorn in India or becomes the next CEO of Infosys,” Nadella said.
Nadella, 52, is one of the two top tech leaders in the US of Indian origin, apart from Sundar Pichai who heads Google. Nadella found support from noted historian Ramachandra Guha, who was detained last month while participating in a CAA protest in Bengaluru.
Reacting to Nadella’s statement, Guha said, “I am glad Satya Nadella has said what he has. I wish that one of our own IT czars had the courage and wisdom to say this first. Or to say it even now.”
Asked Microsoft CEO @satyanadella about India’s new Citizenship Act. “I think what is happening is sad… It’s just bad…. I would love to see a Bangladeshi immigrant who comes to India and creates the next unicorn in India or becomes the next CEO of Infosys” cc @PranavDixit
— Ben Smith (@BuzzFeedBen) January 13, 2020
Following Nadella’s remarks, Microsoft put out a statement attributed to the CEO: “Every country will and should define its borders, protect national security and set immigration policy accordingly. And in democracies, that is something that the people and their governments will debate and define within those bounds.
“I’m shaped by my Indian heritage, growing up in multicultural India and my immigrant experience in the US. My hope is for an India where an immigrant can aspire to found a prosperous start-up or lead a multinational corporation benefitting Indian society and the economy at large.”
The citizenship law, which came into effect from January 10, makes Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christian illegal migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, eligible for citizenship in India.
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At least 26 people have been killed in the wake of the ongoing protests against the Act. Uttar Pradesh has been the worst affected. At least 19 protesters have lost their lives during violence across the state.
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
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First published on: 14-01-2020 at 05:25:18 pm
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