Reacting to Home Minister Amit Shah’s assertion that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act will not be withdrawn despite widespread protests, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said the BJP government is “appearing closer to colonial rulers India has seen off”.
“The more that time is passing, this govt. is appearing closer to the colonial rulers India has seen off. This is exactly what the British would say during the freedom struggle. And we know what happened,” Mr. Yechury said in a tweet.
He told The Hindu that considering RSS never participated in the freedom struggle their “lack of knowledge” can be condoned.
With growing discomfort about the ongoing protests at Shaheen Bagh with calls on social media to end the sit-in, Mr. Yechury said it is the Union government’s duty to reach out and negotiate with the protesters. “Right to peacefully protest is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution of India. If the police or the Union government feel that the protesters are obstructing daily lives then they should negotiate with them and arrange for an alternate space,” he said.
He said the call to keep children away from protests is wrong. “They are the future of India and they have a greater stake in how this country shapes than the senior citizens.”
