BJP MLA trashes CAA for creating ‘civil war-like’ situation
“When villagers struggle to get a ration card, how will they be able to prove their citizenship? You (BJP) talk of unity and integrity but inflame passions,” Tripathi said
NB: This person has shown courage in adopting a genuinely patriotic approach on our social fabric, and in criticising the divisive politics of his leaders. He deserves appreciation. I thank him and hope that other BJP leaders will emulate him. DS
Even as the Narendra Modi government
refuses to back down on Citizenship
(Amendment) Act despite protests nationwide, a BJP MLA from Madhya
Pradesh has taken a different stand, saying the law was creating a “civil
war-like situation in every street”. BJP MLA Narayan
Tripathi said though the CAA was not beneficial to the country, the
controversial measure would consolidate the saffron party’s vote-bank. He said the BJP should
either follow Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Constitution or “tear and throw it away”, as
it is clear that the nation cannot be divided on religious lines. “There is civil
war-like situation in every street, which is fatal for our country. We cannot
imagine development in civil war-like situation. I opposed it (CAA) when I
became aware of such a situation. Not only in my constituency Maihar, but
similar situation prevails in other places,” he said.
“We should either run
the country according to the Constitution or the BJP should come up with one of
its own and tear and throw away B R Ambedkar’s Constitution which says all the
people, irrespective of religion, will live together. “The country cannot be
divided on the basis of religion,” the Maihar MLA said while speaking to
reporters here.
The MLA, however, was
quick to add that his outburst against CAA did not signal his willingness to
join the Congress, which has been critical of the new law and held protests
against it. “I am not willing to
join the Congress, neither (am I) leaving the BJP. The CAA was enacted only for
vote-bank, which is benefiting the BJP. This is not going to benefit the
country,” he said, adding it was his personal opinion based on “feelings and
experience”. Tripathi said a family
of Hindu priests, whose members are BJP supporters, in his Assembly segment had
told him that Muslims had started ignoring them. “Something is wrong in
villages when BJP supporters and priests are feeling so,” he added. Tripathi also opposed
any proposal for a National
Register of Citizens exercise across the country claiming “people in
villages won’t be able to prove their citizenship”.
“When villagers
struggle to get a ration card, how will they be able to prove their
citizenship? You (BJP) talk of unity and integrity but inflame passions,” Tripathi
said. This is not the first
time the MLA has gone against the party line. Tripathi, along with
party colleague and Beohari MLA Sharad Kol, had voted in favour of the Kamal
Nath-led Congress government on the Criminal Law Amendment Bill tabled in the
MP Assembly in July last year.
