Centre muzzling protests, should re-think on CAA: NCP

The NCP on Monday attacked the Centre over police crackdown on those protesting the amended Citizenship Act in Delhi, saying such "muzzling" of voices was unfortunate, and asked the BJP-led dispensation to re-think over the new law given the opposition to it. It also said that the role of police comes under scanner when peaceful protests turn violent.

Unrest over the police crackdown in Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rippled in angry waves through the country on Monday with demonstrations in several campuses, including in Hyderabad, Lucknow, Mumbai and Kolkata. The morning after violence broke out in the national capital, thousands of students across India took to streets demanding a probe into the use of teargas inside the Jamia library as well as police entering the campus without permission from the university authorities.

NCP chief spokesperson Nawab Malik said videos were circulating on social media which purportedly showed some policemen torching a vehicle. He, however, did not specify location where the vehicle was torched.

"It has to be probed how the violence was stoked. The police's role comes under scanner when peaceful protests turn violent," Malik said. He said the BJP "does not understand" that people have to be taken into confidence while running a government.

"The government should re-think on this, respecting the sentiments of people, or else the matter is before the judiciary," he said. NCP spokesman Sanjay Tatkare also expressed a similar view.

"It is unfortunate that the central government is muzzling the protests. They should allow the protests in a democratic way. We urge that the government re-think on the CAA as so many people are against it countrywide," he said. Tatkare noted that parties like the Asom Gana Parishad, which is the BJP's ally, were also opposing the new law after supporting it.

"It is then pretty evident that public pressure is so much that these parties are having re-think on it (the CAA). So, the government should also re-think on it," he said..

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)