Lashing out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for trying to change the Constitution’s preamble, Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Amarinder Singh on Monday called upon all Indians to unite against their divisive and dangerous attempts to destroy the nation’s secular fabric with the draconian Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
His government will not allow the implementation of CAA in Punjab and the Congress would continue to fight it tooth and nail, declared Amarinder, addressing Punjab leaders and workers at a protest march and dharna, joined by senior party leaders.
The BJP could not get away with its nefarious designs, the CM warned, pointing out that protests against the draconian Act were going on currently in 16 states, including Punjab.
Reading out the preamble, he said it was the very basis of India’s foundation, which nobody could disturb. While Articles of the Constitution are amended from time to time, not just in India but across the world, no one can tolerate tinkering with its basic structure, he added, pointing out that even the United Nations had termed the CAA discriminatory.
Referring to the manhandling of Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi in Uttar Pradesh, Amarinder said the police could not have indulged in such behaviour without CM Yogi Adiyanath’s knowledge. “Aren’t you ashamed of such actions,” he asked Yogi Adiyanath, warning that the Congress would not forget this incident and tables would turn one day.
The CM observed that while the entire world was expressing concern over the ramifications of the legislation, “those sitting in Delhi continue to be adamant, refusing to pay heed to the voice of the nation.”
Amarinder pointed out that Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji had also taught secularism, as manifest in his words “na koi hindu, na koi musalman, sab rab de bande” (nobody is a Muslim or a Hindu, all are God’s people). The protest march, held in Punjab’s economic heartland, would help send the anti-CAA message across India, asserted the CM.
Amarinder reiterated that his government would continue to oppose the Centre’s attempt to destroy India’s secular character and change the Preamble of the Constitution. On the manhandling of Priyanka by UP police, he termed the incident shameful. It was shameful, said the CM, Guru Nanak Dev’s secular ideology was being attacked while his 550th birth anniversary was being celebrated across the world.