Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 12

To counter the campaign launched by the opposition parties against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the Jammu Kashmir Peoples Forum (JKPF) organised a rally to “allay” apprehensions among people.

Members of the Jammu Kashmir Peoples Forum at a rally

in support of the CAA on Sunday. Tribune Photos:

Inderjeet Singh

The organisers had mobilised a good number of Muslims, especially tribal Gujjars, to counter the opposition’s campaign that the CAA was against a particular section. Muslims from different parts of the Jammu region attended the rally.

Interestingly, the organisers had especially engaged Muslim workers, wearing skull caps, to distribute snacks and tea among the participants of the rally.

Although all speakers blasted the opposition for “instigating” people against the CAA by launching a vicious campaign, they especially focused on the Muslims to “allay” apprehensions and “educate” people.

Dispelling myths and misinformation surrounding the CAA, the speakers argued that Act was not meant to take away anybody’s citizenship, rather it would give citizenship to the people who actually need it.

Monika Arora, Supreme Court Advocate

Supreme Court advocate Monika Arora came all the way from Delhi to address the rally.

She charged political parties with spreading lies about the Citizenship CAA and fomenting trouble across the country.

“The Act is completely in line with the Constitution of India. Some political parties are deliberately spreading rumours about it and misguiding people and this Act was not going to snatch citizenship of any citizen of India,” she said. “The CAA is not going to affect any Indian national, but is meant for the persecuted minorities of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who want citizenship in India,” she observed and asked the people not to give ear to the “false propaganda” of some political parties. She alleged that the ongoing anti-CAA protests were being orchestrated by political parties to destabilise the nation and create trouble. Chairman of JKPF Ramesh Sabharwal, in his address, warned the Congress and other opposition parties for creating communal divide in the country on the CAA.

He recalled that the Congress, during its rule, had also granted such citizenship rights to people from Bangladesh and Uganda and former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh was on record in advocating for the grant of citizenship rights to these refugees while taking part in a debate in the Rajya Sabha.