“I am committed to my statement on shooting protesters at sight. I will not withdraw my statement’’ Minister of State for Railways Suresh Angadi said in Belagavi on Wednesday. He was speaking to journalists after inaugurating the double line between Ghataprabha and Chikkodi.
On Tuesday, he had told a Delhi-based TV channel that he would issue shoot-at-sight orders to tackle those protesting against the Citizen Amendment Act. He said that the Union government would not withdraw the Act even if it faced opposition.
His statement faced criticism from various quarters. Asked to respond to the criticism, Mr. Angadi said he would not withdraw it. “Should the government keep quiet when mobs are destroying public property? We have clarified that the Act will not affect Muslims who are Indian citizens. Those who are opposing it are misleading the people. Those who want to migrate to Muslim countries are free to do so,’’ he said. He alleged that some Bangladeshi infiltrators had set up abattoirs in Belagavi. “We identified them and threw them out of the district,” he said.
