'Will show videos to educate people': K'taka BJP plans pro-CAA door-to-door campaign

The BJP in Karnataka will begin its campaign in support of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019, across the state, from January 1.

The move is to counter the protests that have erupted against the legislation across the country.

The BJP will hold mega rallies in major cities in the state, including Bengaluru, Mangaluru, Mysuru, Ballari, Belagavi, Hubballi and Kalaburagi.

The rallies will be conducted from January 1 to 15. BJP state general Secretary Ravikumar said that the party will hold similar rallies in all 30 district headquarters.

This comes in the backdrop of massive protests against the CAA and National Register of Citizens (NRC) across the state. “We are planning a two-week-long CAA awareness campaign to counter the protests launched against it by students. This is being done by the Congress and Left parties to create a false impression against the Act,” Ravikumar claimed.

The BJP’s cadre will go door to door and plans to show people video “explainers” in English, Kannada and Hindi during this campaign. “The protests are due to a misinformation campaign. Students and the public are being misguided and we are going door to door to explain it to people through videos,” he added.

Massive protests broke out across the country after the Citizenship Amendment Act was notified in the Gazette of India. On December 15, there was a clash between the students of Jamia Millia Islamia University and the Delhi police. Visuals of police personnel barging into Jamia and attacking students in the library had outraged the student communities across the country, who took to the streets to protest against the police excess and also the CAA and NRC.

A total of 26 people have died in the country due to police force in areas where the protests took place. The death toll has reached 19 in Uttar Pradesh. Five people were killed in Assam and two in Mangaluru.

Protests in Mangaluru began on December 19 when section 144 of the CrPC (curtailing movement of more than five persons) was imposed across the state. Police in the Mangaluru North and Bunder Police stations began firing at the protesters. Jaleel Kudroli and Nausheen died due to bullet injuries. The Karnataka government has also announced that ex-gratia will not be allotted to Jaleel and Nausheen if they are found guilty of rioting. The state government is also mulling over extracting penalties from protesters stating that they caused damage to public property.