Fight is to save the Constitution, says Chidambaram

Dubbing the National Population Register (NPR) as the National Register of Citizens (NRC) “in disguise” Congress leader and former Union minister P. Chidambaram on Saturday urged all parties opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and NRC to come together as they should not miss larger picture, that of saving the Constitution.

“For the sake of the country, all parties which are opposing the CAA and NPR should come together…What is at stake are far more important issues. In Bengal or another State there can be domestic factors or intrastate factors, but one shouldn’t miss the larger picture,” the Congress Working Committee member said at a press conference here.

“We are fighting to save the Constitution of India, we are fighting to save the enduring values embodied in the constitution,” he added.

Referring to the meeting called by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, he said representatives of 20 political parties had participated. “Some did not. That doesn’t mean that is the final word. May be there well be another meeting, may be they will attend,” Mr. Chidambaram, said when asked about the absence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. On whether the Congress would again invite leaders like Ms. Banerjee who stayed away, he said, “If somebody asks my view, I’ll say, of course, we send an invitation.”

On the emergency powers granted on Friday to the Delhi Police Commissioner under the National Security Act (NSA), 1980, for almost three months, Mr Chidambaram said it was a “retrograde provision like the British’s Rowlatt Act”.

“Every day the Government of India, the BJP government, resorts to such repressive measures. It is driving a wedge between the government and people. It is also striking at democracy. This is completely unacceptable, completely unnecessary,” he said. Mr. Chidambaram said the development indicates that the Centre wants to put people in prison without any charges.

On the nationwide anti-CAA protests, Mr. Chidambaram said the movement had become a people’s movement and the Congress wants to stand with the people. “In recent public memory we have not come across any movement where people have risen above caste, religion and State.. This is a unique movement where students union are raising demand for intangible things like liberalism, humanism,” he said.