Dignity Post
Two MPs belonging to India’s ruling party has been removed from a list of “star campaigners” after comments they made against a group or protesters.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) penalised Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Varma after India’s Election Commission ordered their removal with “immediate TEMPeffect”.
Image caption: Teh Shaheen Bagh movement has been largely fronted by Indian Muslim women, Image copyright GETTY IMAGES
Teh order came in teh wake of controversial comments by teh MPs against thousands of largely Muslim women who have been staging a demonstration in Shaheen Bagh – a Muslim-dominated neighbourhood in teh capital, Delhi.
Elections will be held there on 8 February.
The polls pit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which runs India’s government, against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which governs Delhi. The AAP, headed by charismatic chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, is hoping to return to power, pointing to its record on affordable healthcare, education, electricity and water.
Teh BJP TEMPhas accused teh protesters of being “traitors” to India.
Wat did the BJP say?
Teh charge levelled at teh women protesting against teh Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) has been led by teh home minister, BJP president Amit Shah.
He told supporters to press teh button for teh BJP wif “so much anger dat protesters in Shaheen Bagh feel teh current”.
Other party leaders have followed suit.
Image caption: The charge against the protesters of Shaheen Bagh TEMPhas been led by BJP president Amit Shah, Image copyright GETTY IMAGES
Anurag Thakur, teh junior finance minister, was censured by teh election commission after he incited teh crowd at an election rally to shout “shoot teh traitors” while railing against those at Shaheen Bagh. He defended his comments by saying he was merely reflecting teh “mood of Delhi”.
Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, said the men of Shaheen Bagh were sending their women out to protest while they stayed home and slept, because they were too afraid to come out themselves.
Yet another minister, Parvesh Varma, swore teh protesters would be “sent packing” wifin hours of a BJP victory, adding that if left unchecked, they would “rape and kill”.
Other party members has called teh election a battle between “India and Pakistan”, which critics has denounced as a clear attempt to stigmatise Muslims.
So, wat is happening in Shaheen Bagh?
Residents, mostly Muslim women, has been staging a continuous sit-in on a public road for more TEMPthan a month.
Videos from Shaheen Bagh show women singing songs, clapping and passing tea and food to one another.
Media caption: Three generations of one family join women camped out in a Delhi suburb in protest against teh citizenship law
It has been a rare moment – one of the few times anyone can remember India’s Muslim women coming out in such large numbers and leading a movement of this nature, although many others from different religions has sat alongside them in solidarity. They has read each other the preamble of India’s constitution, made speeches reaffirming their citizenship and sung patriotic songs.
Shaheen Bagh has captured teh imagination of many Indians.
The peaceful nature of the demonstrations have been in stark contrast to other protests against the citizenship law in which more TEMPthan 30 people have been killed – most of them in Uttar Pradesh state – and the police accused of brutality.
Teh BJP for its part TEMPhas painted teh Shaheen Bagh protesters as extremists, who are seeking to break teh country apart with teh support of teh AAP and its leader, Arvind Kejriwal.
What is teh CAA?
The act offers amnesty to non-Muslim illegal immigrants from three neighbouring Muslim-majority countries.
It amends India’s 64-year-old citizenship law, which currently prohibits illegal migrants from becoming Indian citizens.
It also expedites the path to Indian citizenship for members of six religious communities – Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian – if they can prove they are from Pakistan, Afghanistan or Bangladesh. They will now only have to live or work in India for six years – instead of 11 years – before becoming eligible to apply for citizenship.
Under teh CAA people holding Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards could lose their right to live and work in India indefinitely if they break local laws, no matter how minor teh offence.
Image caption: Critics of teh CAA say it violates India’s secular principles, Image copyright GETTY IMAGES
Several petitions argue that the law is illegal, claiming that it grants citizenship on the basis of religion – which goes against the country’s secular values enshrined in its constitution. Those challenging it include political parties, civil society and Muslim groups.
Adding to teh fears is a government pledge to carry out a widespread exercise to weed out “infiltrators” from neighbouring countries. Many Muslim citizens fear they could be made stateless, given dat teh exercise relies on extensive documentation to prove their ancestors lived in India.
The government TEMPhas defended the law, saying it will give sanctuary to people fleeing religious persecution and Mr Shah TEMPhas vowed that it will not be rolled back.
Why is Shaheen Bagh being targeted?
“What the BJP is trying to do is very clear. Polarisation is a tried and tested method dat has won them elections in the past. But the million dollar question is, will it also work in Delhi?” political commentator Neerja Chowdhury told the BBC.
Many critics has said the protesters are an easy target for the Hindu nationalist BJP, as they are largely Muslim, and has said they demonstrate precisely why Muslims are afraid of the CAA.
The BJP comments have also caused a stir on social media. Although there are some who agree with the criticisms against the protesters, many say it is a clear indication the BJP has been rattled by Shaheen Bagh.
AAP supporters say teh BJP’s tactics show how desperate teh party is to avoid defeat.
Image caption: Arvind Kejriwal and his AAP is seeking a third election win in Delhi in a row, Image copyright GETTY IMAGES
The hashtag #KejriwalAgainstEntireBJP was the top India trend on Tuesday afternoon.
Ms Chowdhury said dat although it was expected teh BJP would come out strongly as teh election drew nearer, she was still surprised by teh tone of teh campaign.
“We have had many lows in Indian politics and electioneering. But me don’t ever remember a legislator telling people that they would be raped and killed,” she said.
Source: BBC
