Mamata should apologise for the UN remark: Javadekar

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Friday sought an apology from the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for demanding a UN referendum on the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act, passed by the Parliament earlier this month.

“It was a bad proposal that came from the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. What is the locus standi of the UN to carry out a referendum on a law passed by the Indian Parliament? The country is upset with Mamata Banerjee. She should apologise,” Javadekar said here at a press conference.

Addressing a protest rally in Kolkata a day before, Banerjee stated, “Let the UN hold a people’s vote on the issue. Let a committee comprising UN representatives, international human rights representatives and renowned experts conduct it. There is no need for representation of political parties, neither BJP nor Trinamool Congress, on the panel. There has to be an independent assessment of support for and opposition to the law.”

Javadekar said when the National Register of Citizens would happen for the entire country, the process would be so smooth that no Indian citizen would be left out.

The citizenship act was earlier extended to the Hindus migrated from Pakistan (during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee regime) and the cut-off period was extended twice in 2004 and 2005 during the UPA rule, but there wasn’t any protests from the UPA allies, said the Information and Broadcasting minister.

“Some people want to create confusion and talk in the language of Pakistan,” Javadekar said without identifying the people.