"Crisis Of Confidence, Credibility": Digvijaya Singh On Shaheen Bagh

Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that the government should take into confidence the people who are protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) at Shaheen Bagh and hold talks with them to defuse tension.

While participating in the debate on Motion of Thanks on the President's Address, he also urged the government to take back the CAA and clearly tell the people that NRC and NPR would not be implemented.

He was of the view that there is a "crisis of confidence" in the country and the government should take steps to end the social unrest.

"If you want to resolve this issue then please take back CAA. Take people into confidence. If you want to defuse tension then clearly say that you will not implement NRC and NPR," he said.

"If you want to end social unrest then please listen to Murli Manohar Joshi who has asked for the sacking of Vice Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University immediately. You have to take steps to deal with this crisis of confidence in the country to end this issue," the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister said.

Mr Singh said that discourse in the foundation of democracy.

"There are people who are sitting on dharna on the issue especially in Shaheen Bagh. What is the problem in discussing the issue with them. You discuss the issue with them. There is a crisis of confidence along with crisis of credibility."

He said that unity in diversity is the strength of the country and claimed that "humanity is now in danger".

Mr Singh also raised the issues of economic slowdown, unemployment, corruption and fake currency.

Echoing similar views, Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav said, "Your leaders don't trust you (BJP MPs). Forget about others. I urge you to suspend CAA."

He told the House,"there were Muslims who went to Karachi after Partition and were treated like second class citizen. They came back to India. Now they are also persecuted minorities."

He also alleged that government is not following the principles of social justice enshrined in the Constitution of India by Dr BR Ambedkar.

About the reservation for deprived classed in jobs, he said that the government has recruited 10 joint secretaries (JS) by passing Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and "they all from upper caste."

He explained that had the 10 JS been recruited through UPSC, then deprived classes would have got reservation.

He accused the government of avoiding reservation in jobs by going ahead with outsourcing in various government departments, ministries and undertakings.

AIADMK member Vijila Sathyanath also participated in the debate.