Rahul Gandhi asked people to come to Delhi's Raj Ghat to protest against the citizenship law
Highlights
- Congress party will hold a protest at Delhi's Raj Ghat
- Rahul Gandhi asks students to come out in large numbers
- Congress holding protest against amended citizenship law
The Congress party will hold a protest at Delhi's Raj Ghat, the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi, at 3 pm today against the amended citizenship law that fast-tracks the process of granting citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim refugees from three neighbouring countries.
This is the first time a large number of leaders of the party led by Sonia Gandhi, including her son and party MP Rahul Gandhi, would be hitting the streets after the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill sailed through both houses of parliament over a week ago.
"Dear students and youth of India, it's not good enough just to feel Indian. At times like these it's critical to show that you're Indian and won't allow India to be destroyed by hatred. Join me today at 3 pm at Raj Ghat, to protest against the hate and violence unleashed on India by Modi-Shah (sic)," Rahul Gandhi tweeted this morning.
Congress leaders have come under criticism for not coming out in large numbers to support those who are in the frontlines of the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Barring the party's General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who joined protesters at India Gate last week, few other Congress leader were seen on the streets.
The harshest criticism over the Congress's 'absence' from the protests came from election strategist and Janata Dal United leader Prashant Kishor, who hit out at the "largely absent" Congress as intermittent protests against the citizenship law continue to sweep the country.
"Congress is not on the streets and its top leadership has been largely absent in the citizens' fight against CAA-NRC. The least the party could do is to make all Congress CMs join other CMs who have said that they will not allow NRC in their states (sic)," Mr Kishor tweeted on Friday, referring to the amended law and the National Register of Citizens.
"Or else these statements mean nothing," he added, pointing to a statement by Congress president Sonia Gandhi last week against the government over the crackdown on protests.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Act 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 before 2015 because of religious persecution. Critics say it is designed to discriminate against Muslims and violates the secular principles of the constitution.