The Islamists and the Western media appear to have combined forces once again to peddle the same old narratives against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) which was notified by the Modi government on 11th March.
The announcement grabbed headlines worldwide as CAA was notified after a gap of four years. The CAA Bill was passed by the Parliament in December 2019. Violent protests manufactured by the Islamists with the help of the Western media claimed over 50 lives and left 200 injured.
Moreover, the Union Home Ministry said on Monday, 11th March, that the CAA notification was delayed owing to the pandemic.
The Citizenship Amendment Act will provide Indian citizenship to the persecuted minorities in neighbouring Islamic countries of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. It has nothing to do with Indian citizens.
Despite this repeated fact-check and clarity from the Central Government and its sources, the ecosystem has been trying to plant the seeds the doubts in the minds of the people.
Sharing its report on X, “Bloomberg Equality” wrote in its post that CAA is a divisive law based on religion.
India implements a divisive religion-based law, fast-tracking citizenship rights for immigrants from neighboring nations, except for those who identify as Muslim https://t.co/TpyVMTvvOa
— Bloomberg Equality (@BBGEquality) March 11, 2024
“India implements a divisive religion-based law, fast-tracking citizenship rights for immigrants from neighbouring nations, except for those who identify as Muslim,” it wrote.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan helming the communist government in the state has said that CAA will not be implemented in Kerala.
The LDF Government has repeated several times that the Citizenship Amendment Act, which treats Muslim minorities as second class citizens, will not be implemented in Kerala. We reiterate that position. Kerala will stand united in opposing this communal and divisive law. pic.twitter.com/gZjnSi8gCc
— COMRADE (@comradevoix) March 11, 2024
Following in his footsteps are the Left cadre spreading the rumour that CAA treats Muslim minorities (in India) “as second-class citizens.”
Self-declared journalist Rana Ayyub, who spews vitriol against India and Hindus at every opportunity and often even at her whims and fancies, suggested that the Modi government made the announcement deliberately on the eve of Ramzan.
To do it on the eve of Ramzan in India. Was there ever any pretence
— Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) March 11, 2024
“To do it on the eve of Ramzan in India. Was there ever any pretence,” Ayyub wrote. Although there is no clarity whether the Washington Post journalist is decrying the timing because she and her ilk will not be able to practice their Muslim street veto and hold state property to ransom like they did in the anti-CAA riots in 2020.
AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi has gone steps ahead taking into his ideological fold every excuse to demonise the CAA and the Modi government.
Aap chronology samajhiye, pehle election season aayega phir CAA rules aayenge. Our objections to CAA remain the same. CAA is divisive & based on Godse’s thought that wanted to reduce Muslims to second-class citizens.
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) March 11, 2024
Give asylum to anyone who is persecuted but citizenship must…
He suggested that the CAA is an election gimmick and that the Act is “based on Godse’s thought that wanted to reduce Muslims to second-class citizens”.
“Give asylum to anyone who is persecuted but citizenship must not be based on religion or nationality. The govt should explain why it kept these rules pending for five years & why it’s implementing them now. Along with NPR-NRC, CAA is meant to only target Muslims, it serves no other purpose,” Owaisi wrote on X.
He also gave out a call for a repeat of protests against the CAA like in 2020. Several Muslims, especially women, in Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh staged protests on the street disrupting traffic to inconvenience locals.
Similar calls to protest and hold state and streets to ransom were given by his supporters too.
Several anti-India and anti-Hindu slogans were raised during these protests An infant had also died in these protests, which was justified by the protesters.
Al Jazeera broke the news of CAA notification by calling it “anti-Muslim”.
BREAKING: India implements ‘anti-Muslim’ 2019 citizenship law weeks before election https://t.co/3xncL9QZGt pic.twitter.com/HxPfrm4zH3
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) March 11, 2024
One usual trope being narrated by these Islamists is that CAA and NRC combined would snatch the citizenship of Indian Muslims even as the two laws are different and independent of each other whereas NRC has not been implemented yet.
Even though the Modi government has since at least 2021 been announcing that CAA will be notified before 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the propagandists have been sensationalising the election angle as if it is an electoral strategy planned specifically for the general elections.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has been outraging like none other. Taking to X, he wrote that the BJP has weaponised CAA. He blamed the BJP for “betraying Muslims and Sri Lankan Tamils”.
Union BJP Government's divisive agenda has weaponised the Citizenship Act, turning it from a beacon of humanity to a tool of discrimination based on religion and race through the enactment of #CAA. By betraying Muslims and Sri Lankan Tamils, they sowed seeds of division.
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) March 11, 2024
Despite… pic.twitter.com/mbraX6SW10
While the former point has been addressed that CAA does not concern any Indian citizen, the DMK President has somehow victimised Sri Lankan Tamils too in all this.
The DMK has earlier too opposed the CAA and is now relating its implementation to 2024 elections.
Many Muslims have also peddled the fake news that CAA will strip Indian Muslims of their citizenship, which is a lie of lies.
CAA paves the way for India to provide shelter to minorities from Ismaic countries of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
A so-called writer, Raju Parulekar accused the Modi government of Islamophobia over the CAA notification. “CAA is nothing but RSS-BJP’s hatred against Indian Muslims,” he wrote on X.
Self-declared “secular” journalist Arfa Khanum Sherwani put out a frustrated tweet on X, writing, “Look at the triumphalism, the ugly celebrations…”
Ugly celebrations (2/n) pic.twitter.com/uQCuEeIxYS
— Darshan Pathak (@darshanpathak) March 11, 2024
She further wrote that CAA is about “hatred for your own” and accused India of Muslim hatred.
News anchor-turned-Youtuber Ravish Kumar put out a video rant saying that CAA has been notified only to feed the “Godi media” to take away attention from SC turning down SBI’s plea for extension to file donor details.
Godi media. Society Uncle. 400 seats. 😭😭 (3/n) pic.twitter.com/RhqDZeTTct
— Darshan Pathak (@darshanpathak) March 11, 2024
It is not clear if Ravish Kumar reads the news but the electoral bonds issue received significant coverage.
Other “journalists” from Newslaundry and such called the announcement a “diversionary tactic” while some others called it “unconstitutional” despite that it was passed by both Houses of the Parliament.
Diversionary tactic (4/n) pic.twitter.com/05A7xLAMZl
— Darshan Pathak (@darshanpathak) March 11, 2024
Unconstitutional bait (5/n) pic.twitter.com/96VlYUK2GR
— Darshan Pathak (@darshanpathak) March 11, 2024
TMC stooge-turned-TMC leader Sagarika Ghose too decried “violation of Article 14 of the Constitution”.
Constitutional violation (6/n) pic.twitter.com/dhtlhHfFTl
— Darshan Pathak (@darshanpathak) March 11, 2024
Saba Naqvi joined Ravish Kumar to say that CAA implementation was done to drive attention away from electoral bonds.
Electoral Bonds ignored (7/n) pic.twitter.com/s4gj4YisKR
— Darshan Pathak (@darshanpathak) March 11, 2024
Meanwhile, the refugees living in camps in Delhi and Rajasthan have welcomed the decision of the Modi government. Images and videos of celebrations by the refugees who were rescued from Pakistan are doing the rounds on social media showing what it means to the persecuted minorities of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to have a land where they are welcomed and which they can call home.
