The new citizenship law has triggered protests across the nation (File)
Amid various controversies and protests surrounding the new Citizenship (Amendment) Act, Congress in Madhya Pradesh has decided to hold a rally in Bhopal against the new bill and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Chief Minister Kamal Nath is expected to lead the rally which would start from Rang Mahal square and proceed towards Minto Hall.
Two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi appeared to contradict Home Minister Amit Shah on the controversial subject at the core of protests across the nation, Mr Shah said there is no discussion on a nationwide National Register of Citizens right now. "There is no need to debate this (pan-India NRC) as there is no discussion on it right now, PM Modi was right, there is no discussion on it yet either in the Cabinet or Parliament," Amit Shah told news agency ANI on Tuesday.
On Sunday, PM Modi had said at a rally in Delhi that there was no talk of a nationwide rollout of the NRC. On Tuesday, nearly one lakh people took to the streets in Assam on Tuesday, the All Assam Students' Union has claimed; in what has been the biggest ever rally against the citizenship law.
Citizenship (Amendment) Act, which for the first time makes religion the test of citizenship in India. The government says it will help minorities from three Muslim-dominated countries to get citizenship if they fled to India because of religious persecution. Critics say it is designed to discriminate against Muslims and violates the secular principals of the constitution.
Here are the LIVE Updates on Citizenship Act protests:
Citizens' responsibility to take care of public property: PM Modi on Citizenship Law protestsThe Prime Minister asked the protesters to keep in mind that everybody in the country is entitled to a safe environment. "I want to ask people who resorted to violence in Uttar Pradesh to sit at home and ask themselves whether what they did is good or not. They destroyed buses and public property that belongs to their children," he said at the foundation-laying ceremony of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical University in Lucknow.
"Have to protect Constitution, culture of India": Kamal Nath at Bhopal rally
Thousands turned out for the Congress's "Save the Constitution" march in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal and raised slogans against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) on Wednesday.
Criticising the Bharatiya Janata Party, Kamal Nath said that the BJP at the Centre has been raising issues and bringing up such legislature that would divert public attention from its failure on the administrative front.
"The peace march that we have taken out is not just for Bhopal or the state, it is for the nation. We want to send this message from the heart of the country on how the central government is trying to disintegrate the country.
"The question is not about what is written in these laws. The question is about what the government is trying to hide about them. The question is not what they will be used for. The question is about how these laws will be misused," Kamal Nath said.
"The Union Home Minister has said in Parliament that the NRC will be enforced in the entire country. Any law which is anti-Constitution, anti-national, anti-religion will not be enforced in Madhya Pradesh. The NRC and CAA have hidden political intents of the BJP. We have to protect the Constitution and culture of the country," the Chief Minister said, reported IANS.
It's about misuse of citizenship act: Kamal Nath
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath: "The question is not about what Prime Minister and Home Minister are saying. They are saying different things. Question is not about what is included in the (Citizenship) act, it's about what is not included. This is not about its use but of its misuse."
Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath leads protest rally in Bhopal.
DU cuts off electricity as protests are expected
After students start raising slogans outside the Delhi University arts faculty, the admin cuts off electricity.
The students say they are organising a generator, and till then won't start the programme.
Centre should introduce caste census: Sharad Yadav
Loktantrik Janata Dal Sharad Yadav says government should bring in a caste census instead of National Population Register.
"NoToNPR in my opinion Government should bring Caste census which is the priority and give rest to all controversies. Even it may be a routine exercise but people will not agree as it has been told in Rajya Sabha that NPR will be first step for NRC and above all (PM) Modi Government has lost trust," he wrote on Twitter.
Compensation for 2 killed in Mangaluru protests
Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa says compensation announced for the family of the two people who died during violence in Mangaluru during the anti-CAA protest.
He says Citizenship Amendment Act in Mangaluru will be decided only after the Crime Investigation Department inquiry.
Around 1 lakh protest in Assam on Tuesday
On Tuesday, nearly one lakh people took to the streets in Assam, the All Assam Students' Union has claimed; in what has been the biggest ever rally against the citizenship law. The protests, which
were largely peaceful, took place in Dibrugarh, the home district of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister to lead rally against Citizenship Law in Bhopal
Called "Samvidhan Bachao Nyaya Shanti Yatra", a protest march against the Citizenship Amendment Acthas been planned in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, which will be led by Chief Minister Kamal Nath.
It will start at noon from Rangmahal Talkies and culminate at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Minto Hall (old Vidhan Sabha), state Congress vice-president and organisation in-charge Chandra Prabhash Shekhar says.
He says Congress leaders and workers, representatives from other parties, NGOs, ex-Army men, advocates and students are expected to take part.