“The Opposition’s act is like the ‘cheer haran’. ‘Rashtre ke cheer haran jaisa hai’ (it is like the disrobing of the nation),” says the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has hit out at political parties opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), saying they indulged in negative propaganda to malign the country’s image by “pushing women to the front.” He did not refer to any incident or event.

In Lucknow and Prayagraj, protesters, a majority of them women, against the CAA and the proposed nationwide National Register of Citizens, have accused the police of non-cooperation and hostility.

At a rally in support of the CAA in Gorakhpur on Sunday, Mr. Adityanath used the allegory of the disrobing of Draupadi in Mahabharata, to blame the Opposition of trying to “malign” the country’s image globally.

Women have been staging a sit-in protest at the Clocktower park in old Lucknow since Friday. | Photo Credit: Omar Rashid

“The Opposition’s act is like the ‘cheer haran’. ‘Rashtre ke cheer haran jaisa hai’ (it is like the disrobing of the nation),” he said.

Mr. Adityanath accused the Opposition of trying to “spoil the atmosphere” in the country through “propaganda” against the nation and by “pushing women to the front.”

‘Send postcards to PM’

He urged supporters of the new law to “not remain silent” and asked them to send postcards to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, extending their support to the CAA.

He alleged that the Opposition was trying to “mislead people” on the CAA and that the protests against the amended law were part of a “conspiracy” to defame India by those who wanted to “obstruct” the growth of “New India.”