by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group
Amit Shah burning midnight oil
Confrontation between Centre-states building on CAA
Harish Gupta
New Delhi, Jan. 4
Worried over continued protests over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in parts of the country, the BJP leadership is working on multiple fronts to isolate these protesters.
If the party leadership has decided to launch a countrywide blitz to derail these protests, the Modi government has launched a diplomatic offensive globally to counter the propaganda in this regard.
What has worried the government more is that protesters have changed their strategy and going the way shown by protesters in Assam. These protesters are now completely peaceful, siting on dharna, offering flowers to the policement surrounding them. The protesters from the minority community are even carrying National Flag in their hands and chanting Jana Gana Mana. Barring the initial week of violent protests, the protests in Delhi and elsewhere are peaceful. Nearly eleven states ruled by the non-NDA parties are witnessing massive protests and even states of North East are part of it.
Though BJP chief Amit Shah has been making strong statements in support of the CAA, the ministry of Home Affairs has not issued rules pertaining to the amended act. Perhaps, the government is waiting for the supreme court to open after the winter break and make some initial obervations when the hearing begins.
The Ministry doesn't want to precipitate the issue and busy finding a solution to the tricky situation arising in Assam where the BJP has promised to protect the Assamese culture and identity.
The BJP leadership's brainstorming two days ago was part of this exercise. It discussed the consequences of the resolution passed by the Kerala Assembly against the implementation of the CAA. Though the Home Ministry termed it unconstitutional and beyond the powers of the state, the trend is worrying. Pressure is mounting on the Assam government to pass such a resolution and tell the Centre that CAA in its present form can't be accepted.
Meanwhile, the MHA has told the states informally that if they do not implement CAA and NPR beginning April, the officers may be liable to be prosecuted. If the state gpovernments don't cooperate, it will tantamount to breakdown of the constitutional machinery and may lead to dismissal of the government itself. The MHA has also made it clear that states have no role in it and they need not be consulted either.
The states of Kerala, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Punjab and Maharashtra have declared that they would not implement CAA.
Ends
