PANJIM: Former IAS officer Arvind Bhatikar has termed the Citizenship Amendment Act as a direct assault on the Constitution of India and called upon people irrespective of their religious beliefs to oppose it.
He said that the BJP succeeded in the Rajya Sabha, as usual, by political manipulations and perhaps by misuse of brute power. Stating that the Act, will change the secular character of the Constitution, Bhatikar hoped that the Supreme Court would quash the Act and “expose the betrayal of the nation by dividing people on religious lines.”
“The CAA is being widely opposed by most of the North-Eastern States including Assam and Bengal. Most districts in Assam are placed under curfew and army is being called out to support civil administration in maintaining law and order. Though this Act directly affects North- Eastern States, it lays bare the ominous agenda of the BJP Government of converting India into a theocratic State. A loud and clear message needs to be sent to the BJP government at the Centre that they cannot misuse their brute majority in Lok Sabha to sabotage our secular Constitution. This message needs to be sent by the common man all over India,” Bhatikar said, calling upon the Goans across all political leanings, to join him as he sits in protest at Azad Maidan, Panjim, at 4.30 pm on Wednesday against the actions of the BJP government at the Centre.
He said that though Goa is the smallest State in the country, it must let the whole country know that it is politically alive and will not tolerate any tinkering with the secular fabric of the Constitution.
Meanwhile, Bhatikar informed that the gathering at Azad Maidan will also be attended by prominent freedom fighters and members of civil society.
