Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot made a surprise visit at an anti-CAA protest site in Jaipur on Friday and demanded that the centre should withdraw the contentious Act to maintain peace and harmony in the country.
While speaking at the protest site, which is considered to be the Rajasthan’s Shaheen Bagh, Gehlot said the Act is “against the spirit of Constitution”.
“The government should reconsider the CAA which is against the spirit of the Constitution, and should come forward to withdraw it so that peace and harmony can be maintained,” he said.
Today, Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh marks two months of protest against the contentious Act that had triggered nationwide outrage against the government.
Rajasthan Chief Minister also said the information on birthplace of parents was being sought for the National Population Register (NPR). He further said that he is not aware of the birthplace of his parents and might be asked to live in a detention centre.
“If I am not able to furnish the details, I too would be asked to live in a detention centre. I am not aware of the birthplace of my parents. You stay assured if such a situation comes then I would be the first to go there,” NDTV quoted Gehlot as saying.
His statement was welcomed by the crowd as it welcomed it with a clapped appreciation.
Assuring the protesters, he said that the Congress and the state government were with them in their support.
Mentioning Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh in his speech, CM said the centre government should rule as per the sentiments of the people.
He also said many state Chief Ministers were also against the contentious Act and even the BJP Chief Minister in Assam had also refused to implement the NRC.
Gehlot later also took Twitter to launch an attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over CAA by saying, “This is true that Narendra Modi is an elected PM of the country, but in states, CMs are also elected by the people of the county. If state assemblies had passed a resolution against the Act then it is a duty of the central government to rethink on the Act.”
In another tweet, he also thanked the people who participated peacefully in the protest against the Act in Jaipur.