As protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) turned violent in several parts of Uttar Pradesh last week, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai on Thursday claimed that Kashmiri stone-pelters were involved in the violence. At least 16 people lost their lives and hundreds were injured in after mob vandalised public properties and clashed with the police.
The MoS Home made these remarks while attending an event in the Samastipur district of Bihar.
"Stone-pelters from Kashmir were called to participate in the ongoing anti-CAA protests across the state," said Rai. Citing a news report, the minister said those doing vote bank politics were behind the unrest across the state, adding that locals did not participate in the protests in the state.
"Deliberate effort was made to distort the secular fabric of the country. Opposition parties including Congress had been spreading rumours and misinformation about the amended citizenship law which has been duly passed by the Parliament after a thorough debate and later ratified by the President," Rai said.
The statements came shortly after Union Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah slammed Congress for leading the 'tukde tukde' gang in instigating violence in Delhi during anti-CAA protests.
"It is time to punish the tukde-tukde gang, which is responsible for the violence in the streets of the national capital with the help of the Congress party. The people of Delhi should punish them," Shah said while addressing a public rally in New Delhi.
The minister also accused the Congress of spreading misinformation on the CAA and triggering unrest in the city.
Delhi witnessed violent protests in several areas after the Centre enacted the controversial citizenship law that promises citizenship to "illegal immigrants" belonging to minority communities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who fled religious persecution in the three countries.
While critics say that the law is against the secular nature of the Indian Constitution and clubbed with the NRC may be misused to strip away some Muslims' citizenship in the country.
The BJP, however, has argued that the law has nothing to do with India's Muslims and only helps those who fled religious persecution in the neighbouring countries.
