At the stroke of midnight, when the world slept, the Lok Sabha passed the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB). Well, not really at the stroke of midnight, but you get the drift. As most savoured the moment, the self-proclaimed seculars and self-appointed custodians of the ‘secular fabric of the nation’ took to Twitter to let the world know of the ‘impending doom’ that awaits India.
People started blaming their insomnia on passing of Citizenship Amendment Bill in Lok Sabha.
So many people on my timeline echoing the same damn thing: they can’t sleep because of what transpired in the Indian Parliament today. I can’t either. #CABAgainstConstitution
— Shehla Rashid (@Shehla_Rashid) December 9, 2019
How will you sleep tonight, or any other night?
Perhaps as demonic spawn, or not at all.#CitizenshipAmendmentBill2019 #CABAgainstConstitution— Iqra Khilji (@Khilji_Iqra) December 9, 2019
Former politician turned full-time protestor Shehla Rashid had more gems up her sleeves.
Funny how some people are, even at this shameful moment, insisting that #CitizenshipAmendmentBill is Jinnah’s design and something Jinnah would be happy at. Jinnah has been long dead. Please own up to this shit without deflecting the blame on to imaginary characters.
— Shehla Rashid (@Shehla_Rashid) December 9, 2019
Most delightful tweet. Jinnah propagated the two-nation theory and wanted a separate country for Muslims. Rashid wants those who passed the CAB to own up to it rather than ‘deflecting’ the blame on ‘imaginary characters’. One is not able to decide whether she meant Jinnah is a figment of our imagination.
Someone then asked her if her tweet was sarcastic, because these days one can’t really be too sure. To that, Rashid said most certainly not.
No, Nina. We gotta do this on our own. Let’s not look for a Muslim guy to put the blame upon. Jinnah didn’t table the CAB. Amit Shah did.
— Shehla Rashid (@Shehla_Rashid) December 9, 2019
Suddenly Jinnah then becomes the ‘Muslim guy’ who shouldn’t be blamed. Well, whether he is ‘imaginary character’ or just a ‘Muslim guy’ who shouldn’t be blamed, one can’t really take away the credit from him for creating the monster of a country called Pakistan.
Part-time actor and full-time Twitter activist Swara Bhasker tweeted how she does not want her ‘hard earned money as taxpayer’ to be spent funding this ‘bigoted NRC/CAB project’.
I do not want my hard earned money as a taxpayer to be spent in funding this sick bigoted NRC/CAB project! #CAB #CABAgainstConstitution #CABBill #NRCBill #IndiaAgainstCAB
— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) December 9, 2019
Bhasker is a JNU alumnus and campaigned for former JNU alumnus Kanhaiya Kumar during the 2019 general elections. Kumar was accused of chanting ‘tukde tukde’ slogans in February 2016 on Parliament attack accused terrorist Afzal Guru’s birth anniversary, proclaiming how with every Guru hanged, more Afzal Gurus will take birth to break India.
Senior journalists used the opportunity to get retweets and increase their visibility.
RT if you have lost count of the number of times this year you wanted to Tweet ‘Black Day’ but didn’t.
— Sreenivasan Jain (@SreenivasanJain) December 9, 2019
And some didn’t think twice before displaying their lack of general knowledge. One Twitter user who identifies herself as a journalist tried to take a dig at HM for pointing out dwindling population of minorities, especially Hindus in neighbouring Pakistan and Bangladesh. For that he quoted figures of Bangladesh from 1947 (India’s independence) and 2011. The Hindu (publication) journalist pointed out how Bangladesh was created in 1971.
But Bangladesh was created only in 1971. https://t.co/EBOuFySk1p
— vijaita singh (@vijaita) December 9, 2019
Well, while it is indeed true that Bangladesh was ‘created’ in 1971, it was known as ‘East Pakistan’ as it was part of our not so friendly neighbour on the west. Their ignorance is embarrassing.
Saving the best for the last. Harsh Mander, who weaves web of lies to scaremonger about the NRC and Foreigners Tribunals in Assam in his free time, has decided to ‘declare himself to be Muslim’ in solidarity with Muslims and will also boycott the NRC.
I Will Declare as a Muslim If Parliament Passes Citizenship Amendment Bill, Says Harsh Mander | DoolNews https://t.co/qvecDVaeRJ
Salute to you @harsh_mander sir
— Tanvir (@Tanvir_Ansari) December 9, 2019
One does not really know how ‘declaring’ oneself as Muslim will help Rohingyas or Pakistani Muslims who may not be given Indian citizenship. Harshuddin Mandrullah. Most enjoyable.
