Hinting at Govt Action on CAA, Congress Ally Cites 'Strangulation of Democracy by Indira Gandhi'

Ganges93

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posted on 4 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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The statement was apparently in context to the Citizenship Amendment Act, which is being opposed by various state governments and several protests have erupted in the country against the Act.

Mumbai: As protests continue over amended Citizenship Act, Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Jitendra Awhad assured that history was set to repeat, citing 1974's JP movement that led to toppling of Indira Gandhi government.

Addressing a public rally in Maharashtra's Beed on Wednesday, Awhad said, "Indira Gandhi had also strangulated democracy, nobody was ready to speak against her. Then, students from Ahmedabad and Patna protested and JP movement started leading to her defeat. This history will be repeated in Maharashtra and the country."

The statement was apparently in context to the Citizenship Amendment Act, which is being opposed by various state governments and several protests have erupted in the country since it was passed in Parliament last year.

Jayaprakash Narayan, also called Lok Nayak, had launched a mass movement against Indira Gandhi's government in 1974. Jailed during the Emergency he defeated the Congress party in 1977 for the first time which led to the formation of the Janata Party government in the Centre.

However, not new to giving controversial statements, Awhad had on January 20 said that ancestors of people sitting on the throne in Delhi "were appeasing" British at the time when Awhad's father was facing death sentence for the sake of the country.

He further said that Muslims can point out where their grandfathers were buried but Hindus may not be able to say where the last rites of their ancestors were conducted. "I would ask the (people at) throne in Delhi, will you ask proof of me being an Indian? Then listen to this — when your father was licking the boots of the British after bowing to them, my father was embracing death and raising slogans Inquilab Zindabad," he was quoted as saying by ANI at a rally against the CAA in Maharashtra.

"I want to ask, my Hindu brothers are sitting here, where were you when your grandfather's last rites were performed? Muslims can tell where their graveyards are," Awhad added. The CAA grants citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.