If we divide people on basis of religion, this country will not be able to run: BJP MLA Narayan Tripathi
On a day Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the citizenship law was brought to "correct a historical injustice and fulfil a promise to minorities in the neighbouring countries", an MLA of his BJP from Madhya Pradesh opposed the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act or CAA and said the country should not be divided in the name of religion as it is against the spirit of constitution.
Narayan Tripathi, the MLA from Maihar, said, "The first thing is that whether we should follow the constitution of Baba Saheb Ambedkar, respect it or tear it down. It has been said in the constitution that there will be no partition on the basis of religion in a secular nation, even then it is being done. One thing is proved in this, either you are with the constitution or you are against the constitution".
"People have stopped looking at each other. Muslims live in my in village and used to wish us every time they saw us but these days they do not even like to see us. Peace is not possible in such circumstances. We talk of Vasudhaiva Kutumbkam and if we divide people on the basis of religion, then this country will not be able to run. When getting an Aadhar card made is difficult for people in rural areas and the poor in urban areas where will the people get all the documents to prove their citizenship," he added.
Mr Tripathi said him speaking against the citizenship law does not mean he is willing to join the Congress.
"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.
Last year in July, Mr Tripathi and another BJP MLA Sharad Kol had voted with the Congress and allied MLAs on the Criminal Law Amendment Bill in the Vidhan Sabha. However, few weeks later, both the legislators had reaffirmed their loyalty to the BJP.
The Citizenship Amendment Act makes religion, for the first time, the test of Indian citizenship. The government says it will help non-Muslim refugees from three Muslim-dominated neighbouring countries if they fled to India because of religious persecution. Critics say the bill discriminates against Muslims and violates secular tenets of the Constitution.
With inputs from PTI