India Tomorrow
NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 28— Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday launched scathing attack on RSS and BJP over the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), saying that “Assam ko RSS ke chaddiwale nahi chalayenge” (Assam can’t be run by those wearing RSS shorts).
Addressing a massive gathering in the Assam capital Guwahati, Rahul asserted that the Congress would not allow any Indian to be barred from the right to live in the country.
Assam has seen massive protests against the controversial citizenship law since it was passed by the Parliament on December 10. During the protests, five people had died. Rahul also visited the homes of two firing victims — one of them a teenager.
The Congress leader, who was in the state to mark the party’s foundation day, targeted the ruling party BJP and its mentor RSS.
“Assam knows about its culture and history very well. People of Assam know that state can progress only with communal harmony and brotherhood. I want to clearly state that we won’t allow BJP-RSS to attack the history, language and culture of Assam. Assam won’t be run by Nagpur, it won’t be run by shorts-wearing RSS people. Assam will be run by people of Assam,” said Rahul.
The CAA wound grant Indian citizenship to all migrants of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Christian, Jain and Parsee communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who have entered India till December 31, 2014.
People in Assam and some other northeast states are worried that this law would alter the demography of the region even though the central government has some areas, especially the tribal belts of the region, from the impact of the new law.
Rahul said: “The Assam Accord was the foundation of peace in Assam. The spirit of the Assam Accord should not be broken. It was drafted by everyone”.
For the last two weeks, hundreds of massive protests have been held across the country against the CAA and central government move to conduct Assam-like NRC in the country. Some protests turned violent and at least 20 people were killed in Uttar Pradesh alone – some of them fell to police bullets.
Strongly condemning the use of force by police against the CAA protesters, Rahul said: “BJP’s handling of the situation is all wrong. If the public wants to convey what they feel peacefully, there is no need to resort to violence, shoot them. The public can be heard with love.”
