Amid the nation-wide protests against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday asked YSRCP chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy to reconsider his support for the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) and his support to the central government.
Owaisi was talking to a massive crowd that had gathered at Hyderabad’s Darussalam, the headquarters of AIMIM, to protest against NRC and CAA.
“I thank K Chandrasekhar Rao (Telangana Chief Minister) for voting against CAB in both the houses in the Parliament. I had talked to KCR and he had told that he is against any work that will divide Hindus and Muslims in our country. This isn’t an easy stand to take. I request Jagan Mohan Reddy also to withdraw his support for the Centre. You should reconsider your decision (of voting in favour of CAA). I know you need to run a government but this is about India. Only when the country has a strong foundation can anyone run a strong government,” Owaisi said at the protest.
The YRSCP has voted for the bill in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha.
Alleging that the National Population Register (NPR) is the beginning of NRC, Owaisi requested the Telangana government not to undertake the exercise.
“I request KCR to put a stay on all works related to National Population Register (NPR) just like how Kerala has done,” the AIMIM leader added.
He also appealed to the crowd to hoist the Indian flag at every home.
“I want to appeal to the people of the country who are against the CAA and NRC to hoist an Indian flag at their house, to show that Gandhian values are still alive in us. The flag will send a message that Ambedkar's values are alive and that they are against fascists," Owaisi said.
Two female students of Jamia Millia Islamia, Ladeeda Farzana and Aysha Renna , who became the face of the anti-CAA protests, also attended the protest meet on Saturday and called for building a bigger movement to free the country from ‘fascist forces'.