CAA stir: Lawyer moves SC for action against violence

A lawyer has moved the Supreme Court seeking stern action against those misguiding people, disturbing peace and spreading violence in their protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019.

Petitioner Puneet Kaur Dhanda also sought an order to the Election Commission to act against the political parties for the misinformation and rumours on the issue. Besides praying for a declaration that the Act was constitutional, she also sought a direction to the Centre to publicise extensively that it was not against any citizen of the country.

In a PIL, she urged the court to ensure the states aggressively implemented it, saying it was difficult to understand as to how the Muslim community of the country would be affected negatively by way of this amendment.

“There is a continuous conspiracy by few political parties to create unrest in the country by putting fear in the minds of Muslim brothers and sisters that they shall be thrown out from the country by new Citizenship Amendment Act,” she said.

“The false rumors, fear and wrong interpretation have resulted in serious violence, deaths of innocent people, destruction of public property, loss of business and has brought ignominy to our country,” she added.

The petitioner maintained that the Act gave protection to minorities of three countries Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, particularly of Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians community for having faced religious persecution.

“The innocent citizens were being misguided to indulge in violence, damage property and create unrest by the political parties out of power and having vendetta against the country as well as against the central government,” Dhanda said.

The petition filed through advocate J P Dhanda contended that it has become fashion for many students from JNU and Jamia Millia Islamia University to take anti-India stand and abuse even the Supreme Court for the hanging of Mumbai serials blasts convict Yakub Memon and Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru.

On December 18, the top court sought a response from the Union government on a batch of 60 petitions challenging constitutional validity of the Act but refused to grant any stay on the statute, which has triggered massive protests across the country. It also asked the Centre ensure wide publicity to aims and objects of the amended Act in view of confusion among the people.