Kashmir’s mainstream politicians on Tuesday hit out at the BJP for implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
While Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chief Mehbooba Mufti alleged that it was implemented to create another ‘partition’, the National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah said BJP was trying to use religious “cards” to win polls.
PDP chief Mufti took to social media to target the BJP, a day after the Ministry of Home Affairs notified the Citizenship Amendment Rules, 2024 that would enable the implementation of the CAA.
“77 years after partition, BJP is still wedded to the concept of two nation theory of Hindu Mahasabha. To further their agenda they have thus implemented CAA to create another partition among our people,” Mufti said in a post on X.
“This sudden urgency in its implementation despite the case being pending in honourable Supreme Court is a desperate attempt to divert attention from its all-round failures and engage people in hate politics. Appeal all communities especially Muslims not to walk into their trap,” she added.
Omar Abdullah said notifying CAA before polls exposes the ill-intent of the BJP towards Muslims.
“Notifying it (CAA) just a few days before the Lok Sabha polls announcement shows the real objective behind it. BJP has always targeted Muslims and now it has played religious cards ahead of Parliamentary elections to meet nefarious designs,” he said.
Omar claimed that BJP was claiming to win the 400 seats in the Lok Sabha election and they were also claiming that after building the Ram Mandir they will never lose the elections.
“But somewhere it seems their position is weak and that is why they are using new weapons day by day. And BJP has given the Ramzan gift to the Muslims of the country by notifying the CAA before the holding of elections,” the NC Vice President said.
Kashmir-based BJP leader Altaf Thakur hit out at Mufti saying that her statement is yet again part of her “divisive” politics.
“Seems Mehbooba Mufti is feeling the jolts of CAA as she looks unaware of its benefits and applicability. Her statement is misleading and yet again part of her divisive politics. People are aware and wise enough as to what CAA move has been taken. No place for politics of hate in J&K,” Thakur, the BJP JK spokesman said.
CPI (M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said CAA is against the basic tenets of the constitution of India.
“There is no distinction based on religion, caste, or area. Citizenship is the right of every person of the country irrespective of his creed, colour, area or background without any interference of faith,” Tarigami said in a press conference.
He said it is unfortunate that the BJP government for the last ten years has targeted the secular and brotherhood.
“What happened in Jammu and Kashmir by snatching the identity, grabbing the rights of the people, and abrogating Article 370 is a part of this policy. .. The CAA is just to target the minorities of the country and target the secular values,” the CPI(M) leader said.
Tarigami said the implementation of the CAA ahead of polls was aimed at polarizing the situation in the country.
“It is unacceptable…we have then opposed this act and today also against it”, he said, and added, “Don’t break the country and don’t repeat what happened in 1947…that should not be repeated now”.
