Priyanka Gandhi's Notes Ban Parallel As She Joins Protests At India Gate

Senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday visited India Gate in Delhi to show solidarity with students who are protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Law, whose passage in parliament last week has led to the eruption of violent agitation in several parts of the country. Sitting on the ground with students, she said the centre's plan to implement the National Register for Citizens (NRC) across the country is "anti-poor". She also drew a parallel between the NRC and the government's 2016 notes ban move, saying if it is implemented people will have to stand in lines.

"This (NRC) is basically anti-poor. The most affected will be the poor. If someone has to take out old documents about their land, will they be able to do that? Will your grandmother be able to show?," she said.

"In what state are they putting the country into. The way they put the entire country in line after note ban (demonetisation), they now want to put the entire country in line the same way. Who will be affected by this. The rich will show their passports, but the poor will suffer," she added.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act for the first time makes religion the test of citizenship in India. The law makes the rules to get Indian citizenship easier for non-Muslim, religiously persecuted minorities from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Critics say the law discriminates against Muslims and is unconstitutional.

10 people have been killed in Karnataka, Assam and Uttar Pradesh in violence over the law.

Protests have also been held in several parts of the national capital. Students from several universities, including Jamia Millia Islamia, DU and JNU, have also been agitating against the government.

Earlier this week, Priyanka Gandhi had visited Jamia Millia Islamia university after the police crackdown in which several students were injured. She had called police's action tyrannical.

"I'm a mother too. You entered into their library, dragged them out and thrashed them up. This is tyranny," she had said.